AI tools "likes" Rust.
People like Rust programs that are efficient and rarely crash.
But Rust is not an "easy" language to do well, even with AI tools.
Is it worth it? Apparently it may be...
In this JetBrains interview, Rust educator and Rust for Rustaceans author Jon Gjengset discusses the status, market dynamics, and future trajectory of Rust in 2026.
- Market & Salaries: While top-tier Rust roles can command salaries reaching $400,000, wide adoption still faces hurdles due to the language's steep learning curve and existing legacy codebases. Rust sees its strongest adoption in embedded development, command-line tools, defense, automotive, and other safety-critical industries.
- Language Philosophy vs. Go & C++: Gjengset emphasizes that Rust's rigorous type system and borrow checker force developers to think deeply about system structure and ownership upfront, resulting in more robust and reliable code compared to C++ or Go.
- AI in Software Engineering: AI tools excel at pattern replication and boilerplate code (such as basic web templates), but struggle with deep architectural design, complex logic, and type-safe systems. AI will serve as a powerful assistant rather than replacing skilled systems engineers.
- Ecosystem & Tooling: While Cargo provides a best-in-class build and package management experience, the ecosystem continues to navigate challenges around slow compile times and macro complexity.
Good:
by Stephen Grider
10h
10h
