Google Developer’s Director Unveils AI Changes in Programming

Mountain View, California – Ryan Silva, Google‘s Director of Developer Tools, detailed the significant impact of artificial intelligence on programming. Speaking at a conference this week, Silva discussed how AI tools like Gemini CLI and Gemini Code Assist are leading programmers into the realm of “agentic programming.”

According to a report from Silva’s team, a pivotal moment occurred in April 2024, with the launch of advanced models like Claude 3 and Gemini 2.5. These models enhanced the capabilities of “tool-calling,” allowing them to write, compile code, run tests, and even debug themselves.

Reflecting on his personal experience, Silva shared that he relies heavily on Gemini CLI for his projects, using tools such as Claude Code and Codex, alongside various development environments like Zed, VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf to stay updated with market developments.

On a professional level, he utilizes AI for drafting requirement documents and technical specifications. Gemini CLI transforms registered issues in “GitHub Issues” into detailed technical documents, allowing the model to write code based on these documents, effectively organizing programming updates, commits, and pull requests.

Silva believes that the role of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) will diminish as the focus shifts to interacting with and formulating requirements. This shift will reframe the programmer’s role to resemble that of an architect, capable of breaking down larger problems into manageable tasks. He stated, “The role of a programmer won’t disappear; it will evolve from writing code to strategic thinking, focusing on the bigger picture rather than the intricacies of programming syntax.”