Working in embedded systems and firmware often means repeating the same morning ritual: check the Git changes, read the requirement again, build the code, and flash the board.
AI now sits on the second monitor. Give it register values or an old function and it can produce a useful list of possible causes in seconds. But the answer still has to survive the board and the logs.
In firmware, a successful build is often the beginning of the test rather than the end of the job. A device can run for an hour and then freeze at one temperature or after one communication sequence. The code may look reasonable while one timing assumption quietly breaks the product.
This is where C changes the questions you ask. Where does the data live? Who created it? How long is it valid? Who may change it, and who returns the memory when the work is done?
C remains close to the work because it offers direct control, a small runtime, and costs that are easier to inspect. Open the development tools from ST, NXP, Nordic, Texas Instruments, or Infineon and C drivers, examples, and startup code are still everywhere.
That does not make C naturally safe. Safety focused teams use MISRA C, static analysis, code review, and extensive testing to control its known failure modes.
Python is excellent for building tools and automation quickly. C or C++ can take the measured bottleneck or the layer closest to the hardware. Good engineering is not forcing one language into every layer.
You do not need C for everything. But when the board stops, the tool slows down, or the abstraction starts leaking, C is still one of the clearest ways to understand what is happening underneath.
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