Rust programming language: fast yet secure
In October 2026, free clones of Adobe and Microsoft applications caused a stir. However, the positive aspects of the project have less to do with artificial intelligence and more to do with the programming language used.
The Artcraft project clones numerous Adobe and Microsoft applications. I have mixed feelings about it in several respects. I welcome the opportunity to make these applications available on Linux and free them from their less-than-user-friendly subscription models. However, I also consider software clones a threat to everyone who develops good software with their own ideas.
I had a mixed impression on the technical side of things. The apps are still incomplete, but they run extremely quickly, require little storage space and are stable. They seem to be solidly programmed – even though they were written almost exclusively by AI agents.
The fact that the apps are fast, stable and space-saving has a lot to do with the Rust programming language used. What makes Rust so special? What can this programming language do that others can’t?
A new concept ensures speed and high security
Rust offers high storage safety and speed. Normally, you have to choose one or the other. Hardware-dependent programming languages such as Assembly are fast but not safe because you can access memory directly. With languages that have a high level of abstraction, such as Python or Java, you don’t have to worry about memory management yourself. This prevents a lot of catastrophic errors, but the languages are slower.
A lot of existing programs and operating systems are written in C and C++. These fall into the category of fast, but not memory-safe languages. And that’s a big problem. According to a 2020 Google report, memory errors account for more than 70 per cent of all serious security vulnerabilities in the Chrome browser. Microsoft experienced a very similar situation between 2007 and 2016.
High-level programming languages typically use garbage collection for memory management. This detects references that are no longer needed during program execution and frees up the memory they were using. While this is convenient, it slows down program execution, often at unpredictable and inconvenient times.
Rust doesn’t have a garbage collector. Instead, it uses a concept called ownership. As soon as the program exits the scope of a variable, the memory occupied by that variable is automatically and immediately released. You need explicit program instructions for this in C and C++ – which also don’t have garbage collection – and it’s an error-prone process.
Source: Rustacean.net
AI agents handle Rust well
Security’s key when using AI agents. Rust boasts a crucial advantage here: program code that leads to memory problems isn’t even compiled. While it can be frustrating when your program won’t even run for testing, this nips dangerous problems in the bud.
Another advantage of using AI agents is that the compiler doesn’t just display an error message; it provides detailed instructions of how to fix the problem. While this feedback was designed for humans, it also helps AI agents. They adjust their code accordingly and try again – multiple times if necessary. The compiler acts as a strict bouncer, not allowing any faulty code to get in.
Existing content is rewritten in Rust
The first final version of Rust was released in 2015. This makes it a young programming language compared to C (1972) or C++ (1983). Nevertheless, Rust has already achieved some spectacular success.
Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird were partly written in Rust. This isn’t surprising, since Rust was originally developed by the Mozilla Foundation. Dropbox completely rewrote its desktop and online folder synchronisation in Rust. Discord switched from Go to Rust because Go’s garbage collector caused significant latency spikes.
Source: Discord
In 2021, Amazon rewrote the Prime Video interface in Rust. This allowed developers to reduce the frame time on an average TV from 28 to 18 milliseconds. As this example demonstrates, Rust also works with web-based applications. This is because Rust can compile directly to WebAssembly (Wasm). Wasm is a W3C-defined standard for running apps within a web browser.
So, is everything Rust now?
Rust’s still a relatively rare language compared to Python, C++ or JavaScript. But it’s gaining popularity. Its strong compatibility with AI agents will likely give it a further boost.
Nvidia, for example, plans to program more and more GPU kernels in Rust. The code for operating system kernels is already partly in Rust.
Galen Hunt, a developer at Microsoft, wrote on LinkedIn that his goal is to eliminate every line of C and C++ code written by Microsoft by 2030 and replace it with Rust. With the help of AI, every developer is tasked with replacing one million lines of code per month. These statements caused quite a stir, partly because he forgot to mention one small detail: that this is an experimental research project, not Microsoft’s official strategy. Perhaps that’s for the best. I very much doubt whether it’s good for security for a single person to check one million lines of code per month. And, at least for Android, the vast majority of memory errors are found in code that’s less than a year old – just because the older code has been maintained for many years.
All in all, Rust’s certainly no magic bullet, nor is it the best language for everything. However, it does offer great potential in various areas, including programming with AI agents.
My interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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