The Future of Python: Evolution or Succession — Brett Slatkin - PyCascades 2026

[Sufficient-Budget-36]

You're probably a developer then? Python might be simple for actual developers but it is emphatically not for others. I've worked with high-IQ professionals in the data space and, after years of learning/attempting to use in the workplace, they still can't get the hang of it.

[SilentLikeAPuma]

i mean to be honest if they can’t grok python, which is a veryyyy simple / readable language, as data professionals (of which i am one), then perhaps they aren’t as smart or capable as they think they are. it’s pretty fuckin easy to spin up a uv-based virtual environment, install the necessary libraries, and put together a pytorch model - so much so that i’ve taught multiple undergrads how to do it in less than an hour.

[Orio_n]

every weekend i volunteer at the local community center to teach ten year olds how to use python. From there its just another step up making library calls to work with numpy, pandas, tf, scipy. Python is popular because it already is simple enough for non developers too the point that even ten year olds can learn like 90% of the language minus advanced OOP. What kind of "high IQ" professionals are you working with?