Opus & Go: A New Project & Learning Challenge | Burke Holland
- A Microsoft developer began a new project today and received a surprising recommendation from an AI coding assistant: the Go programming language.
- Holland’s post sparked interest given recent discussions about the capabilities of AI in software development.
- In his blog post, Holland detailed building a Windows image conversion utility using Opus 4.5, describing the experience as markedly different from previous interactions with AI coding tools.
A Microsoft developer began a new project today and received a surprising recommendation from an AI coding assistant: the Go programming language. Burke Holland, who works with the Visual Studio Code team, shared the experience on social media, noting his own unfamiliarity with the language.
Holland’s post sparked interest given recent discussions about the capabilities of AI in software development. Just last week, Holland published a detailed account of his experience with Claude Opus 4.5, arguing that the model has reached a point where it can effectively replace human developers. , he wrote on his blog, “Opus 4.5 is going to change everything.”
In his blog post, Holland detailed building a Windows image conversion utility using Opus 4.5, describing the experience as markedly different from previous interactions with AI coding tools. He contrasted Opus 4.5 with earlier AI agents, which he said often produced “spaghetti code” requiring extensive debugging. He found Opus 4.5 to be remarkably fast and capable, requiring minimal intervention.
Holland’s shift in perspective is striking. He admitted that just three months prior, he would have dismissed the idea of AI agents replacing developers as unrealistic. He now believes that Opus 4.5 represents the long-promised potential of AI for coding, delivering on a level of performance he hadn’t previously experienced.
According to Holland, his workflow involved using GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code with a custom agent prompt, alongside Context7 and voice dictation with Claude. He emphasized the simplicity of the process, stating that no complex planning or workflows were required.
Holland is a frequent contributor to the developer community, sharing productivity tips for Visual Studio Code on LinkedIn. He has over 500 connections on the professional networking site and is based in the Nashville Metropolitan Area. He also authored articles on Azure DevOps and the origins of VS Code in .
His GitHub profile reveals a prolific coder with 469 repositories, including a C# wrapper for the Instagram API called InstaSharp and a starter template for React and Express projects. He describes himself as “Pretty fly for a bald guy” on his GitHub profile.
The discussion surrounding Holland’s post on Reddit highlights the growing interest in AI-powered coding tools and their potential impact on the software development landscape. Users are discussing the implications of such advancements for new hires and the importance of maintaining a strong foundation in fundamental programming concepts.
Holland’s LinkedIn post regarding Opus 4.5 garnered significant engagement, with commenters noting the “terrifying new layer of abstraction” the technology introduces. The post reflects a broader conversation about the evolving role of developers in an era of increasingly sophisticated AI tools.