The video showcases the creation of “Cursed Lang,” a Gen Z-themed programming language developed over three months by continuously running the AI model Claude, resulting in a quirky yet functional compiler with slang-based syntax and emoji support. It highlights the innovative use of AI in programming, demonstrating both the creative potential and challenges of AI-assisted software development while celebrating the playful fusion of internet culture and coding.
The video explores the fascinating and chaotic world of programming languages created with a fun twist, focusing on a unique language called “Cursed Lang.” Unlike traditional languages designed for safety and reliability, Cursed Lang was developed over three months by running an AI model called Claude in a continuous loop, generating a Gen Z-themed programming language filled with slang and quirky syntax. This project, initiated by Jeff (formerly known as the guy at AMP), cost tens of thousands of dollars in tokens and resulted in a fully functioning compiler capable of producing binaries for multiple platforms. The language features amusing keywords like “slay” for function, “damn” for return, and “vibe check” for switch, making it a humorous yet real programming tool.
The video also highlights other playful languages such as Grueling and Dreambird (recently renamed Gulf of Mexico), which similarly embrace unconventional designs for entertainment rather than practicality. Cursed Lang stands out due to its extensive development process driven entirely by AI, showcasing the potential and limitations of using language models to create complex software artifacts. The creator ran Claude with a prompt to build a Go-like language but with all keywords replaced by Gen Z slang, allowing the AI to implement any features it deemed necessary. The result is a language that is both “cursed” in its lexical structure and surprisingly capable, complete with interpreted and compiled modes, editor extensions, and a standard library.
A significant portion of the video is dedicated to demonstrating the language’s syntax and quirks, such as using emojis as pointers (the “Among Us” symbol) and the playful naming of control flow keywords. The host experiments with adding full emoji support for variable names, pushing the boundaries of what programming languages typically allow. This led to attempts to integrate emoji identifiers into other tools like the Bun JavaScript runtime, although these efforts faced technical challenges and required substantial debugging. The process involved running AI agents to generate code, fix bugs, and even write unit tests, illustrating both the promise and the current hurdles of AI-assisted software development.
The video also delves into the broader implications of AI in programming, discussing the evolving stages of AI adoption among developers. The host reflects on how AI tools can be used not just to automate tasks but to learn and experiment, encouraging developers to engage deeply with AI rather than relying on it blindly. The creation of Cursed Lang serves as a case study in pushing the limits of AI-generated code, showing that with enough iteration and human guidance, AI can produce complex and novel software projects. However, the process is costly, time-consuming, and often requires manual intervention to overcome issues like build failures and segmentation faults.
In conclusion, the video celebrates the chaotic creativity behind Cursed Lang as both a technical achievement and a humorous experiment. It invites viewers to appreciate the blend of AI, programming, and internet culture that birthed this language, while also acknowledging the challenges and costs involved. The host encourages the community to contribute and shape the future of Cursed Lang, hoping it might become either the most loved or most hated language in developer surveys. Ultimately, the project exemplifies the exciting new frontier of AI-assisted programming, where the boundaries of what’s possible are constantly being redefined in unexpected and entertaining ways.