Back in the mid-1990s, most programming languages were designed with machines in mind, not people. Productivity, strict syntax and raw efficiency were the priorities, often at the expense of the developers behind the keyboard. Then Yukihiro Matsumoto arrived with a simple but radical idea: "I want to make programmers happy".
And so in 1995, exactly 30 years ago, a completely different type of programming language appeared. From the very beginning, Ruby placed people above machines, readability above rigidity and joy above stress. Three decades later, that philosophy feels more relevant than ever, especially in a world where AI and automation are reshaping how we work, create and collaborate.
Ruby in numbers
Since its release, Ruby has grown into a global ecosystem. According to a JetBrains research from 2019 (no newer official data is yet available), there were more than 300,000 professional Ruby developers and over 1,000,000 programmers who use Ruby worldwide. As of early 2025, Ruby on Rails, Ruby’s most popular framework, powers hundreds of thousands of websites, with some sources reporting more than 673,000.
Its enduring popularity shows that a language built with human needs in mind can truly stand the test of time.
The philosophy that made Ruby different
Ruby was designed for humans writing the code. Built on the principle of least surprise, it aims to behave in ways that feel intuitive and elegant. Readability, developer trust and creative freedom sit at the heart of the language.
This mindset has influenced a whole generation of modern languages. You can trace Ruby's humane syntax, code that reads almost like natural text, in Elixir, Crystal, Kotlin and Swift. Its "everything is an object" approach has shaped how many ecosystems think about code structure.
Convenient blocks and lambdas, flexible DSL-friendly constructs and the emphasis on convention over excessive configuration became hallmarks of languages and frameworks that appeared after Ruby, consciously or unconsciously inheriting its philosophy.
Why humanism matters in tech
Developers spend most of their day interacting with code. It's not just a technical activity, it is a continuous interaction with a language that can either support them or exhaust them. Ruby was one of the first languages to explicitly acknowledge the emotional side of programming: stress, frustration, flow and the joy of creation. Its clear syntax, simple abstractions and thoughtful conventions reduce cognitive load, creating an environment where developers can focus on solving problems creatively rather than fighting boilerplate.
When tools make work feel smoother, teams build better systems. Motivation influences architecture, creativity shapes maintainability and long-term clarity reduces technical debt. Ruby showed that when a language respects the people using it, the product benefits too.
How Ruby reshaped modern development
Ruby didn't just change how code looks, it changed how teams build software. Ruby on Rails put Ruby’s philosophy into practice, prioritising convention over configuration and offering powerful abstractions that allowed developers to focus on building real products. This approach accelerated startup development and reshaped the landscape of web engineering.
Some standout examples include:
- Shopify: the e-commerce giant that uses Ruby on Rails as its core development platform, proving Ruby’s capability in high-load and complex business environments.
- GitHub: the world’s most popular platform for version control and collaboration, originally built with Rails.
- Basecamp: a project management tool that embedded Ruby’s values of simplicity and focus into its own product philosophy.
- Motorola Research: a team using Ruby for simulation scripting, scenario generation, and data processing.
Together, these examples show that Ruby thrives not only in web development but also in scientific, enterprise and high-traffic environments.
Ruby's open-source culture: humanism in practice
The Ruby community mirrors the values of the language itself. From the early days, it prioritised inclusivity, mentorship and a genuinely supportive atmosphere.
Its documentation is approachable and friendly, and meet-ups and conferences have long been known for their respectful, welcoming culture. Ruby earned a reputation as one of the warmest communities in open source - a place where newcomers feel encouraged, not intimidated.
AI in Ruby and Rails: Keeping humans in the loop
Even in the age of AI, Ruby’s human-centric design remains relevant. By emphasising readability, simplicity and creative freedom, Ruby and Rails allow developers to experiment with AI while keeping code manageable and maintainable. These tools demonstrate how AI can enhance productivity without overwhelming the human behind the keyboard:
- ruby-openai - a reliable Ruby wrapper for the OpenAI API, enabling text generation, chat, embeddings, image creation (DALL·E) and audio transcription (Whisper). Ideal for experimenting with AI while keeping code readable and stress-free.
- langchainrb - a high-level framework for building AI-powered workflows with any major LLM provider, supporting prompts, tool chaining and RAG. Helps create structured AI workflows that stay maintainable.
- raix-rails - integrates AI agents into Rails apps using prompts, structured inputs/outputs and streamable sessions. Allows developers experiment with AI features in a natural, predictable way.
- torch.rb - Ruby bindings for LibTorch, allowing deep learning directly in Ruby. Enables training and running models without leaving the Ruby ecosystem, keeping workflows cohesive.
- sublayer - a model-agnostic framework for building AI-powered applications, automating tasks and creating custom workflows while maintaining simplicity and clarity.
By keeping humans in the loop, these tools reinforce Ruby’s original philosophy: technology should adapt to people, not the other way around.
Conclusion: Humanism as Ruby's true legacy
Ruby didn't become a classic because of speed or benchmarks. It became one because it cared about the people writing the code. It reshaped team culture, influenced language design and reminded the tech world that happiness, clarity and creativity matter.
Thirty years later, Ruby stands as proof of a simple truth - technology thrives when it puts humans first.
If you care about clean code, thoughtful engineering and Ruby at the core of your work, we’d love you to check out our current vacancies. We’re growing our teams in Bulgaria, Poland and Ukraine.
