Tesla's Ex-AI Chief Karpathy Warns Engineers: AI Rewriting Programming, Adapt Now!

• Andrej Karpathy, former Tesla AI chief and OpenAI cofounder, warns software engineers that AI is fundamentally rewriting the programming profession.
• He admits feeling "never this much behind as a programmer," citing the rapid pace of AI-driven change.
• Karpathy highlights a new "programmable layer of abstraction" where developers manage AI agents, prompts, and probabilistic systems, shifting from traditional coding.
• His views evolved from "vibe coding" to recognizing AI's limitations for complex projects, where it can be a hindrance.
• Karpathy urges engineers to adapt quickly, experiment relentlessly, and rebuild their mental models, as AI represents a structural change, not just a tool.

Why It Matters: AI is fundamentally transforming software engineering; developers must adapt quickly or risk falling behind.