How to learn programming and CS in the AI hype era – interview with prof Mark Mahoney [Podcast #215]

Today Quincy Larson interviews Mark Mahoney. He worked arsenic a dev earlier becoming a machine subject professor. He's taught machine subject for 23 years astatine Carthage College, a 180-year-old US university. He's besides taught thousands of developers done his free programming courses built connected apical of his ain unfastened root people platform, Playback Press. We talk about: - Why learning programming the difficult measurement is still the correct way - How to not deskill yourself erstwhile programming pinch LLM tools - And why now is simply a awesome clip to study machine science Support for this podcast comes from the 10,113 benignant folks who donate to our kindness each month. Join them and support our ngo astatine https://donate.freecodecamp.org Get a freeCodeCamp tshirt for $20 pinch free shipping anyplace successful the US: https://shop.freecodecamp.org Links from our discussion: - Playback Press, Mark's free interactive courses: https://playbackpress.com/books - Mark's individual website: https://markm208.github.io/ - One of the galore vibe-coded projects Mark mentions: https://markm208.github.io/vibeCodingInClassTools/git-workflow-simulator.html - Mark's tutorials connected freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/author/markm208/ Community news section: 1. freeCodeCamp conscionable published a caller people connected AI-assisted package development. You'll study communal terminal workflows and tips for “pair programming” alongside LLM tools. You'll besides get vulnerability to devices for illustration GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and OpenClaw. At the extremity of the day, the full extremity of utilizing these devices is to build much features without compromising the maintainability of your codebase. (90 infinitesimal YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ai-tools-for-developers/ 2. freeCodeCamp besides published a beginner level people connected AI literacy for everybody that you tin besides stock pinch your family. First you'll study astir the 2 traits that definte artificial intelligence: autonomy and adaptivity. Then you'll build your ain image classifier correct connected your ain telephone aliases laptop. This people besides delves into considerations for illustration algorithmic bias the biology costs of training and moving LLM systems. (1 hr YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ai-literacy-for-everybody/ 3. Learn really to build your ain QR codification generator utilizing JavaScript. This tutorial will locomotion you done generating QR codes wholly successful a browser without the request for a backend. You'll study really to validate input, clear erstwhile output, and usage a JavaScript room to render the codification instantly connected the customer side. Then you'll spot really to widen the task pinch downloads, civilization styling, WiFi support, and more. (7 infinitesimal read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-build-a-qr-code-generator-using-javascript/ 4. I'm thrilled to denote that the Bad Website Club is backmost for different Responsive Web Design bootcamp based connected freeCodeCamp's curriculum. It starts April 24 and runs for 10 weeks. You tin subordinate their Discord organization and tune successful for unrecorded streams. It's lead by unpaid devs who are passionate astir helping folks study CSS and JavaScript fundamentals. (5 infinitesimal read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/bad-website-club-bootcamp-based-on-freecodecamp-rwd-cert/ 5. Today's opus of the week is 2008's Strange Overtones. The Talking Heads vocalist David Byrne blends his sound pinch Brian Enos, who handles organs and synths. The full matter plays complete an infectious palm-muted guitar line, and driving bass. This is simply a cleanable mid-week jam. Put it connected during during your commute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvZhpCYWFzs