OpenAI developer predicts programmers will soon "declare bankruptcy" on understanding their own AI-generated code

An OpenAI developer known by the pseudonym "roon" has a blunt prediction for the future of software development: many developers at software companies will soon openly admit they no longer fully understand the code they're submitting. Eventually, this will cause system failures that are harder to debug than usual but will still get fixed in the end, roon writes.

The prediction cuts to the heart of an ongoing debate: Is AI-assisted programming a fundamental shift in how developers work, or a risky breaking point? Some enthusiasts point to massive productivity gains, while critics fear growing dependencies and bugs that slip through undetected.

A developer survey from summer 2025 captures this split: only 33 percent of developers trust AI-generated code, yet 84 percent are already using AI tools or plan to start. As usual, the truth probably lands somewhere in the middle.