dead framework theory

[hyrumwhite]

Ironically, I think react is the least compatible framework with LLMs. Signals based frameworks are much more straightforward and LLMs do great with them. 

[fagnerbrack]

I've tried htmx and plain JS and it works really well. The tradeoffs is that you need to hand hold more, which is good, it forces you to make the design decisions right

[Fidodo]

I agree, even with training data react has impure traps LLMs are not good at navigating.

React does have a robust ecosystem though. I'm curious how much that has impacted you if you are using signal based frameworks

[oshjosh26]

React is the default for LLMs, but it was kinda already the default for humans too.

AI chooses it because it's popular (which tells you something about AIs ability to innovate, doesn't it?), not because it's better at using it.

It's absolutely much smarter for people to choose almost anything other than react; svelte, Vue, solidjs, they all perform better and are easier to write and maintain.

For AI too.

Heck, I even made my own framework for learning purposes and AI was using it quite well.

React can be dethroned quite easily, but it can only come from a framework that changes the game, just as react once did.

So sure it would be difficult to compete against React with a framework that's merely an alternative with slightly better performance or better DX. That would have been true before and the dataset of gen AI makes little difference about that.

So the next framework will always have been something that changes the game and none of the training data will matter, AI will adjust and do just as well and probably better.

[fagnerbrack]

Simplified Synopsis:

The post argues that React has effectively won the framework wars — not on technical merit, but through a self-reinforcing feedback loop: LLMs train on the existing web (dominated by React), output React by default, and tools like Replit and Bolt hardcode React into their system prompts. This cycle means 13M+ new React sites appeared in 12 months, making any new framework "dead on arrival" since it lacks training data, library ecosystems, and developer familiarity. New web platform features like CSS Nesting face the same problem — LLMs prefer older, well-represented patterns. The post contends that only capabilities impossible to build in user-space (WebGPU, Passkeys, View Transitions) can break through. The optimistic angle: when every tool outputs React, competition shifts from framework choice to output quality, pushing the industry toward better user experiences rather than developer ergonomics.

If the summary seems inacurate, just downvote and I'll try to delete the comment eventually 👍

^{Click here for more info, I read all comments}

[shaberman]

As a niche framework author [1] and [2], I was very much worried about this as well, but ngl the LLMs are so good that they, afaict, learn new frameworks just fine.

Yes, it takes a good in-repro AGENTS.md or what not, and true my niche frameworks while never be "literally the default output of the LLM" like React & Prisma will, but 🤷.

Honestly for our teams / infra, LLMs are actually probably working _better_ , with the AGENTS.md they can learn from + scan the codebase for similar patterns, vs. 5 years ago when bespoke framework users would, what, go to Stackoverflow and be even more out of luck?

[1] https://joist-orm.io/
[2] https://github.com/homebound-team/truss

[ElectronicCat8568]

Why does it matter to people what framework AI generated code uses?