AI Disruption Ushers in Era of Effortless Innovation: New York Times Columnist Revels in Coding Revolution
In a candid opinion piece published in The New York Times, technology writer Paul Ford declares that the long-awaited AI disruption has finally arrived—and it’s proving to be an exhilarating ride for developers and innovators alike. Titled “The A.I. Disruption Has Arrived, and It Sure Is Fun,” Ford’s column captures the transformative power of advanced AI coding tools, particularly highlighting a pivotal shift observed in November 2025.[1]
Ford recounts how AI models, once “halting and clumsy,” have evolved into sophisticated assistants capable of tackling complex tasks with remarkable efficiency. He shares a personal anecdote from a therapy session where he spent an entire hour discussing the implications of these tools, underscoring their profound impact on everyday tech work. “Now, the bot can run for a full hour and make whole, designed websites and apps that may be flawed, but credible,” Ford writes, emphasizing the leap from incremental aids to full-fledged creators.[1]
A Paradigm Shift in Software Development Costs
The columnist draws from his extensive experience as the former chief executive of a software services firm to illustrate the economic earthquake triggered by AI. Ford describes rebooting his own “messy personal website”—a task he estimates would have cost $25,000 if outsourced just weeks prior. In another striking example, he helped a friend convert a “large, thorny data set” into a clean, explorable format, a job he would have previously billed at $350,000.[1]
“When you watch a large language model slice through some horrible, expensive problem—like migrating data from an old platform to a modern one—you feel the earth shifting,” Ford observes. This sentiment resonates widely in the tech community, where AI’s ability to revive abandoned side projects and streamline migrations is reigniting passion for coding.[1]
Community Divide: Enthusiasm Meets Skepticism
Ford doesn’t shy away from the social tensions bubbling up around AI adoption. He humorously notes a stark divide: “All of the people I love hate this stuff, and all the people I hate love it.” Yet, driven by the same traits that led him to technology, Ford admits to being “annoyingly excited” about the possibilities.[1]
This polarization mirrors broader debates in the industry. Tech blogger Simon Willison, in his February 18, 2026, post on simonwillison.net, amplifies Ford’s piece, calling it “the A.I. disruption we’ve been waiting for.” Willison highlights Claude Code’s prowess in resurrecting old projects, aligning with Ford’s November breakthrough moment.[1]
Recent developments underscore the accelerating pace of change. Just days before Willison’s commentary, announcements of new tools like Showboat’s Chartroom and datasette-showboat on February 17 signal ongoing innovation in AI-assisted data handling. Earlier in the month, pieces on Deep Blue (February 15) and OpenAI’s evolving mission statement (February 13) reflect a maturing ecosystem where AI is no longer experimental but integral.[1]
Implications for the Future of Work
Ford’s column arrives at a juncture when AI’s role in creative and technical fields is under intense scrutiny. The dramatic cost reductions he cites— from tens of thousands to effectively free for individuals—could democratize software development, empowering solo creators and small teams to compete with large firms.
However, this disruption raises questions about job displacement, skill obsolescence, and ethical AI use. Ford’s therapy-session revelation hints at the psychological toll: what does it mean when machines handle the grunt work that once defined a programmer’s expertise? Industry observers predict a hybrid future where humans guide AI, focusing on strategy and innovation rather than rote coding.
“November was, for me and many others in tech, a great surprise.”
— Paul Ford, The New York Times[1]
Echoes in the Tech Blogosphere
Willison’s endorsement has sparked discussions across tech forums, with developers sharing stories of AI reviving dusty repositories and automating migrations that once took weeks. One commenter on Willison’s site echoed Ford: “I just rebuilt a decade-old app in hours—what would that have cost in 2020?” This grassroots excitement contrasts with institutional caution from Big Tech, where leaders grapple with scaling these tools responsibly.[1]
As AI continues to infiltrate codebases worldwide, Ford’s piece serves as both celebration and cautionary tale. The fun, he argues, lies in the disruption itself—the thrill of watching codebases emerge from prompts, costs plummet, and creativity flourish unchecked.
Whether this optimism holds as AI matures remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the genie is out of the bottle, and programmers are racing to harness its power.