Should Kids Still Learn to Code Now That AI Can Write Code?

It's the question we hear most from parents this year: if ChatGPT can write code, why should my child learn it?

It's a fair question. The short answer is that AI makes coding skills more valuable, not less, but it changes how children should learn. In June 2025 the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK education charity behind some of the world's most-used free coding resources, published a position paper arguing exactly this. Here's what it says, in plain terms, and what it means for your child.

The five reasons, in brief

The Foundation's paper, Why kids still need to learn to code in the age of AI, makes five arguments. In our own words:

1. The world still needs skilled human programmers

AI produces code that is statistically likely to work, not code that is guaranteed to be correct, safe or right for the job. People still have to judge whether it's right, fix it when it isn't, and decide what should be built in the first place. That takes real programming skill.

2. You only get good at programming by coding

Reading, writing and debugging code is how children build the mental models of how programs work. Skipping that and only prompting an AI is like trying to become a strong writer without ever writing.

3. AI will create more opportunities for people who can code

Rather than removing programming jobs, AI is likely to increase demand for people who combine coding with another field, such as medicine, agriculture, design or science.

4. Coding is a kind of literacy that gives children agency

Children who understand how software works can question it, shape it and use it for their own goals, instead of simply being shaped by the apps and algorithms around them.

5. The children who learn to code will shape the future

The more young people from every background learn to code, the more diverse the people building technology, and the better that technology is likely to serve everyone.

The paper ends with a call to educators to push back on the idea that AI makes coding education unnecessary.

What this means for how your child learns

We agree with the paper, and in our classes it shapes three practical habits:

• Write first, ask AI second. Children learn the most when they attempt the code themselves. AI can be a helpful tutor for explaining an error, but not a replacement for thinking.
• Always read and test what AI produces. A great exercise is to ask an AI tool for code, then find what's wrong with it. It builds exactly the judgment the paper says matters most.
• Learn how AI works, not just how to use it. Training a small image classifier or building a simple chatbot shows children that AI learns from data, and that bad data gives bad results.

A simple plan by age

• Ages 7–10: block coding with Scratch to build the core logic (sequence, loops, conditions). Try our free Scratch course.
• Ages 10–13: a real language, Python, plus a first look at how AI learns. Try our free Python course and free AI course.
• Ages 13+: deeper programming, plus using AI tools responsibly and critically. See our Generative AI course and AI & Machine Learning course.

Common questions

Will AI replace programmers before my child grows up?

Nobody can predict the job market precisely. But the skills coding builds (breaking problems down, precise thinking, debugging and judgment) are valuable in almost any career, with or without AI.

Should my child use AI tools while learning to code?

Yes, sensibly and with supervision: as an explainer, not a ghostwriter. Many AI tools also have age limits, typically 13+, or require parental consent.

Is it better to learn AI instead of coding?

They go together. You can't understand or build AI well without programming, and most AI work is done in Python.

Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation, "Why kids still need to learn to code in the age of AI", position paper, June 2025. This article summarises its arguments in our own words; read the full paper for the details.

Want a starting point for your child? See the CodingChamp learning path, or book a free trial class.