What David Heinemeier Hansson thinks about AI agents
Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals, and creator of Omarchy.
David Heinemeier Hansson did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
Filter AI agents · Newest first
104 more topics
Only David Heinemeier Hansson on AI agents. See everyone on AI agents
15 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what David Heinemeier Hansson has said — not written or endorsed by them.
-
Their wordsEvery developer needs an AI shed: An always-on machine running on their tailscale network where the majority of their herdr agents are running.
- 7 days earlier
-
Our readingThe less one is required to dig into the details, the easier it is to see the big picture.
Their wordsThe less you're required the dig into the details, the easier it is to see the big picture.
- 2 days earlier
-
Our readingAI models solve problems, wield tools, and complete tasks they were never directly trained on.
Their wordsModels solving problems, wielding tools, and completing tasks they were never directly trained on.
- 1 day earlier
-
Their wordsIt's already by far the superior operating system for the age of agents, but now the advantages will compound even quicker.
- 4 weeks earlier
-
Our reading · no longer heldThe ideas in software originate with humans; agents build what people tell them to build.
Recalls holdingI thought all the ideas would originate with the humans. They would tell their agents what to build, and off they went.
SaidI don't think that's true anymore at all.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Agentic Engineering, Vibe Coding & Linux | Lex Fridman Podcast #501youtube.com 11th of 41 in this recording
-
Their wordsLinux conquered everything else. All the AI infrastructure that everyone runs off, it's all running on Linux. All the systems, all the servers, everything is Linux. So it was kind of a curiosity that the desktop and the personal computers we were using really hadn't been captured, but clearly it was just waiting for this moment. Linux spent the time from '91 to now waiting for agents to fully flourish as an end user operating system.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Agentic Engineering, Vibe Coding & Linux | Lex Fridman Podcast #501youtube.com 32nd of 41 in this recording
- 1 day earlier
-
Their wordsAnd I do think some of that is positive and energizing, but I also think you can certainly go too far with it, and I also think the current pace is not sustainable.
↗Is Linux the perfect operating system? - Omarchy interview with DHHyoutube.com 1st of 6 in this recording
- 2 weeks earlier
-
Their wordsI feel like there's a little genie trapped in my machine now
- 4 months earlier
-
Our readingThe agentic age needs a new operating system
Their wordsWhen you're able to change not just individual applications, but your system's menu bars, your window manager, your notification system, your everything
- 7 days earlier
-
Their wordsAnd that seems like the end state. The end state is that agents will not need any of our accommodations. They do not need any on-ramp.
↗DHH’s new way of writing codeyoutube.com 10th of 21 in this recording
-
Their wordsNow one way it could map out is that the agents will get so good that they stop making mistakes. They become senior in their capacity to ship working code. This is what my bet would be if we look x amount of time forward because this is what just happened with cars.
↗DHH’s new way of writing codeyoutube.com 12th of 21 in this recording
- 2 weeks earlier
-
Our readingThere is a huge demand for a personal agent that can act as a private executive assistant
Their wordsThere's a huge demand out there for a personal agent that can act as your private executive assistant
↗Basecamp becomes agent accessibleworld.hey.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 7 weeks earlier
-
Their wordsit'd be a world where agents, like self-driving cars, don't need special equipment, like LIDAR or MCPs, to interact with the environment
- 4 weeks earlier
-
Our readingAI agents are capable of producing production-grade contributions to real-life code bases
Their wordsThey're fully capable of producing production-grade contributions to real-life code bases
-
Their wordsThe leaps of improvement that AI agents took in 2025 is simply incredible