Eric Schmidt once ran Google. He shaped one of the most consequential technology companies of the 21st century. Now he stands before developers and confesses something personal. He is in mourning. “I’m in mourning,” Schmidt said, “because I started as a programmer when I was basically 13 or 14, and that is essentially over.” The former CEO delivered the remark in remarks that have circulated widely since. He added that his entire identity as a computer scientist had ended in one lifetime. Something that should have passed to children or grandchildren instead vanished in his own time. The Economic Times reported the comments . His message carries weight. Schmidt does not sell software tools. He has advised the Pentagon on artificial intelligence and backed multiple AI coding ventures. When he tells programmers to stop writing code the old way, the industry listens. Or at least it should. “If you’re writing code in any traditional way: stop. It’s over,” Schmidt declared. The line lands like a verdict.…