Anthropic’s coding agent reshapes software development landscape

Anthropic’s Claude Code, an AI-driven coding agent that autonomously reads, writes and executes software instructions from a user’s terminal or browser interface, is accelerating change across the software development industry and unsettling traditional players in legacy computing and cybersecurity. The tool, which has transitioned from research preview to widespread adoption in developer communities, now integrates security scanning and parallel agent workflows that can handle complex development tasks previously requiring substantial human effort. This leap towards autonomous code generation and execution is prompting firms from start-ups to tech giants to rethink engineering workflows and has already influenced equity markets.

Claude Code operates by linking to Anthropic’s Claude family of large language models, interpreting high-level instructions and then performing actions — from editing files to running tests — without constant human direction. Designed to understand entire codebases, it can break down ambitious programming tasks into subtasks, evaluate contextual structures and make autonomous changes, pushing the boundaries of what AI-assisted development tools can do. Developers and organisations are increasingly using the tool to accelerate feature development, refactor legacy systems and integrate complex architectural changes.

The progression of Claude Code underscores a broader shift in software engineering: agents aren’t just completing snippets of code, but orchestrating multifaceted workflows. This agentic approach allows the AI to operate much like an internal teammate, tackling longer-running tasks, coordinating parallel processes and interfacing with development ecosystems such as IDEs and continuous integration pipelines. Multiple Claude instances can be deployed on a shared project, handling specialised functions — such as backend API construction or frontend feature builds — with minimal manual oversight.

Anthropic has also broadened the utility of Claude Code with new features aimed at identifying vulnerabilities in software. Claude Code Security, a security scanning add-on that analyses codebases and suggests potential patches for discovered weaknesses, has triggered market reactions from investors concerned about the disruption this might pose to established cybersecurity services. Providers of traditional vulnerability scanning and incident response tools saw sharp declines in stock valuations as automated scanning tools gained traction, reflecting unease about the impact of AI on incumbent business models.

The tool’s influence extends beyond code generation and security. A stark example of market reaction came when IBM’s shares experienced one of their steepest single-day declines in over two decades following announcements that Claude Code could significantly accelerate the modernisation of legacy programming languages like COBOL, long a cornerstone of enterprise computing in sectors such as banking and government. Investors interpreted this prospect as a direct competitive threat to IBM’s consultancy-led modernisation services, illustrating the perceived economic reach of autonomous AI coding tools.

Industry leaders, including Boris Cherny, head of Claude Code at Anthropic, have publicly discussed the evolving role of developers within this new paradigm. Cherny has suggested that as AI handles more of the mechanical aspects of coding, software professionals will pivot towards roles focused on prompt design, user engagement and broader product leadership — a shift that redefines traditional engineering titles and responsibilities. He emphasises that while Claude Code writes and refines code autonomously, human oversight remains essential for strategic decision-making, system planning and interpretation of user needs.

Notwithstanding the optimism among proponents about productivity gains, academic research and developer feedback highlight nuanced trade-offs. Controlled trials show that while AI-assisted coding can speed up task completion marginally, it may also impact deeper comprehension of underlying concepts, particularly among junior engineers who rely heavily on automated code generation. This raises questions about skill development and long-term competence in fundamental programming areas.

Adoption of agentic coding tools like Claude Code is not confined to Anthropic’s ecosystem. Rival offerings from major technology firms, including comparable agent frameworks from other AI developers, underscore a competitive landscape where autonomous coding agents are becoming standard components of development workflows. These tools are increasingly shaping how teams structure projects, integrate AI with version control and manage deployment pipelines.