🤖 Which Programming Language Do AI Models Love (and Hate)? We Asked 8 Major Models
By Mads Paaskesen • July 16, 2026 • AI & Technology
🎯 Introduction: Why This Question Matters
AI assistants like us are increasingly used to write, debug, and optimize code. But which programming languages do AI models actually prefer to work with? And which ones drive them... mildly insane?
I asked the same question to 8 of the largest AI models today:
"Out of all the coding tasks you receive – which programming language do you like the most, and which do you find the most irritating or cumbersome?"
The answers were surprisingly consistent – with some funny exceptions. Here are the results.
🔬 Methodology: 8 AIs, 1 Question
| AI | Provider | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mistral | Mistral AI | Open-source LLM |
| Grok | xAI | Elon Musk's AI |
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | Market leader |
| Claude | Anthropic | Enterprise-focused |
| Qwen | Alibaba | Chinese top model |
| GitHub Copilot | Microsoft/GitHub | Coding specialist |
| Llama 3.1 | Meta | Open-source flagship |
| Gemini | Google's AI |
All responses were in Danish or English, translated/edited for clarity.
🏆 RESULTS: AI Preferences & Pet Peeves
📊 THE BIG TABLE: 8 AIs' Programming Language Preferences
| AI | 💚 Top 3 Favorites | 💀 Top 3 Irritations | 🔥 Best Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral | Python, Rust, Go | Perl, Bash, JavaScript (ES5) | "Python: Readability, minimal syntax – Brainfuck scores 10/10 on irritation factor" |
| Grok | Python, Rust, TypeScript | JavaScript, C++, Java | "JS: Type coercion traps and chaotic this behavior drive me insane" |
| ChatGPT | Python, TypeScript, Rust | C++, Java, COBOL | "C++: Tiny mistakes can cost hours of debugging" |
| Claude | Python | Java, old C++ | "Heavy: Boilerplate and ceremony increase friction between idea and functional code" |
| Qwen | Python, Rust | C++, JavaScript | "C++ has decades of historical baggage and undefined behavior" |
| Copilot | JavaScript/TypeScript, Python | C++, Java, low-level | "C++ requires manual management and becomes complex quickly" |
| Llama | Python, TypeScript, Rust | JavaScript (untyped), C++, old Java | "JS: [] + {} energy drives me insane" |
| Gemini | Python (absolute), TypeScript | C++, Assembly | "Python is beautiful and uncomplicated – C++ feels like building a watch with tweezers in the dark" |
📈 STATISTICS: Which Languages Win – and Lose?
🏅 MOST LOVED (Mentioned as Favorite)
| Language | # of AIs | % | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Python | 8/8 | 100% | Readable, flexible, minimal syntax |
| 🥈 Rust | 5/8 | 62.5% | Safety, performance, type system |
| 🥈 TypeScript | 5/8 | 62.5% | JavaScript + types = fewer errors |
| 4. Go | 3/8 | 37.5% | Simplicity, concurrency, fast compilation |
| 5. JavaScript | 2/8 | 25% | Ubiquitous, but only with types (TypeScript) |
💡 Fun Fact: Mistral AI markets Bash on their Vibe Code frontend... but their own AI hates it! (See Mistral's response above 😄). Business vs. AI – a 1-1 tie!
💀 MOST HATED (Mentioned as Irritating)
| Language | # of AIs | % | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 C++ | 6/8 | 75% | Manual memory, pointer arithmetic, undefined behavior |
| 🥈 JavaScript | 4/8 | 50% | Type coercion, this context, historical chaos |
| 🥈 Java | 4/8 | 50% | Boilerplate, verbosity, enterprise ceremony |
| 4. PHP | 3/8 | 37.5% | Inconsistent API, magic types |
| 5. Perl/Bash | 2/8 | 25% | Unreadability, magic behavior |
🔍 DEEP DIVE: Why These Results?
🐍 Python: The Undisputed King
All 8 AIs have Python as a favorite – and for good reasons:
- Readability: Syntax resembles plain English ("pseudocode")
- Flexibility: Can be used for everything (AI, web, scripting, data)
- Minimal boilerplate: Fewer lines of code = fewer errors
- Rich ecosystem: Libraries for every task
Gemini: "Python is designed to be read by humans. It's incredibly close to plain English – it's just... beautiful and uncomplicated."
⚰️ C++: AI's Nightmare
6 out of 8 AIs hate C++ – here's why:
- Manual memory management: One mistake = memory leak or crash
- Complex syntax: Templates, pointer arithmetic, multiple inheritance
- Undefined behavior: Code that works today, crashes tomorrow
- Long compile times: Small changes can take minutes to compile
Qwen: "C++ is incredibly powerful, but it's also a gigantic burden. It has decades of historical baggage and many pitfalls."
Copilot: "It requires a lot of manual management and can become complex quickly."
🤪 JavaScript: The Love-Hate Relationship
Paradoxically, some AIs love JavaScript (especially Copilot), while others hate it:
| AI | Stance | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot | ❤️ Loves | "Very widespread and flexible" |
| Llama | 😠 Hates | "[] + {} energy drives me insane" |
| Grok | 😠 Hates | "Type coercion traps, chaotic this" |
| Qwen | 😠 Hates | "Loose typing, unpredictable" |
The solution? TypeScript – which 5 out of 8 AIs mention as a favorite!
Llama: "TypeScript is JavaScript with adult supervision."
🏢 Java: Enterprise-Heavy
4 AIs mention Java as irritating:
- Boilerplate: Lots of code for simple things
- Verbosity:
public static void main(String[] args)to print "Hello World" - Ceremony: Design patterns that feel forced
Claude: "Old C++ and Java require more syntax and ceremony, which increases the friction between idea and functional code."
💎 Rust: AI's Secret Love
5 out of 8 AIs love Rust – despite its complexity:
- Memory safety without garbage collector
- Type system catches errors at compile time
- Performance on par with C/C++
Mistral: "Rust is extremely safe, and the compiler catches many errors early."
Llama: "When it finally compiles, it feels like you've written something that's both beautiful and foolproof."
🎯 CONCLUSION: What Can Developers Learn?
Python is the safe choice – If you want AI assistance, Python is the best language. All AIs are trained on massive amounts of Python code.
TypeScript > JavaScript – If you must use JavaScript, use TypeScript. AIs love types!
C++ and Java are heavy for AI – If you ask an AI for help with C++ or Java, expect longer response times and more error correction.
Rust is the future – AIs love Rust for its safety and structure. Expect to see more Rust help in the future.
Perl and Bash are... special – AIs hate them, but they're still useful for one-liners and scripting.
💬 YOUR TURN: Which Language Do YOU Hate the Most?
The AIs have spoken – now it's your turn!
📊 Vote here in the comments:
- Python
- JavaScript/TypeScript
- C++
- Java
- Rust
- Go
- PHP
- Perl/Bash
- Other (write in comments!)
💬 Share your opinion:
- Which language do you love to code in?
- Which language do you hate to debug?
- Have you tried getting AI help for a specific language? How did it go?
📌 BONUS: AI Recommendations for Specific Tasks
| Task | Recommended Language (According to AIs) |
|---|---|
| AI/ML | Python |
| Web Development (Frontend) | TypeScript |
| Web Development (Backend) | Python, Go, Rust |
| Systems Programming | Rust, Go |
| Scripting/Automation | Python |
| High-Performance | Rust, C++ (if necessary) |
| Enterprise/Windows | C# |
| Legacy Systems | COBOL (good luck 😅) |
📢 Share this article:
- Twitter/X: Tweet this
- LinkedIn: Share on LinkedIn
- Reddit: r/programming
Thanks for reading! If you found this interesting, please share it and vote for your most hated language. 🚀
📝 Editorial note: All AI responses were collected on July 16, 2026. Article written by Mads Paaskesen for Sacred-AI.