Is Competitive Programming on Codeforces Outdated in the AI Era?

[Topcoderbd]

With the rise of AI tools and machine learning dominating the tech industry, many people are asking whether traditional competitive programming (like Codeforces contests) is still relevant in 2025.

[SaiSruthisri]

Honestly, competitive programming is still relevant in 2025—but the way people look at it has changed. With AI tools and machine learning everywhere, it’s easy to think, “Why bother solving problems manually?” But competitive programming isn’t just about writing code fast. It’s about building strong problem-solving and algorithmic thinking skills, which are still super important.

AI can write code, sure, but it won’t magically come up with the most efficient approach or understand tricky constraints the way a human can. That’s why top tech companies still care about these skills—they show you can think logically and handle complex challenges.

The difference now is that competitive programming isn’t just for bragging rights or leaderboard positions. It’s more about sharpening your mind, learning algorithms, and becoming better at breaking down problems—skills that help whether you’re coding by hand or working with AI.

So yeah, it’s still relevant, just with a different purpose: not competing with AI, but learning to work smarter alongside it.

[miles-spidee]

Hey there!
First of all that is good question which I was too concerned about this before ...
Here is the ans which I would like to convey -

Competitive programming is still useful in 2025, but not the only thing that matters anymore. Before, it was seen as the main way to get into big tech jobs. Now, with AI tools, companies also look for system design skills, real project experience, and the ability to work with AI.

Still, CP trains your brain to think fast and solve tough problems, which helps in interviews and real coding situations. It’s not a “must-do,” but it’s like exercise for your problem-solving skills.

If you enjoy it, keep doing it. If not, there are other good ways to grow as a developer.

Hope it helped!
Do make me as answer :)

[idcnys]

No,
Not dead. just evolved. Competitive programming still builds sharp logic and problem-solving skills, but in 2025 it’s not enough alone. Pair it with real projects or AI work, and it becomes a powerful combo.

[Ashutoshx7]

I am an specialist and also firm ai user
i can say its not
majority of the time if u ask ai to solve some 1400 to 1500 level problem it won't be able to
and companies still look for some good codeforces ranking (1600 or something) which you can't achieve while cheating so don't fall into that trap
competitive programming is still relevant then ever before but still you will require development experience and open source.

[Mr-Nilarnab]

In 2025, with AI and machine learning shaping most of the tech world, many wonder if competitive programming still matters. While AI can now solve problems once considered hard, competitive programming remains valuable—it builds deep problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and coding speed that still set great engineers apart. It’s less about beating AI and more about learning how to think like one.

[AlFaizCodes]

Competitive programming is still relevant in 2025, but its role has evolved rather than disappeared.

Competitive programming is no longer about memorizing tricks; it develops core problem-solving skills, algorithmic thinking, and the ability to write correct, efficient code under constraints—skills that AI tools cannot replace. AI can generate code, but it still relies on humans to model problems, choose algorithms, reason about edge cases, and verify correctness, which are exactly what competitive programming trains.

That said, competitive programming is not sufficient by itself anymore. The tech industry now values a broader skill set: system design, real-world software engineering, data handling, and AI/ML fundamentals. Competitive programming is most useful as a foundation, especially for interviews, backend roles, and performance-critical systems.

In short:

Competitive programming is not obsolete

It remains valuable for thinking skills and interviews

It should be combined with practical projects, AI/ML knowledge, and software engineering experience

So in 2025, competitive programming is best seen as a strong base, not the final destination.