Free C ?

I saw an email on the Piclist that Microchip Technology (the PIC people) have made the full XC compilers including the optimization stuff (whatever that is) free for the downloading.  It used to be that the unoptimizing compiler was available as a part of MPLAB.  Here is the press release:

https://ir.microchip.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1403/microchip-expands-developer-access-with-free-mplab-xc-compilers-and-mplab-machine-learning-development-suite

I've made many attempts to learn programming beyond PIC assembly language but never made much progress.  Theoretically it should increase productivity but I dunno - I'm just not that great at programming.  It sounds like a lot of folks are becoming, in effect: "systems analysts". they don't write code, they spec what they want the code to do.  Then the AI generates the code.  The person then reviews, tests and tweaks the input to AI for any necessary changes.  I can't see doing that either, especially if AI isn't "free".

After seeing an article in QST I actually bought some Raspberry Pi Pico  boards because the author mentioned that he used BASIC to create his program - that seemed interesting:

https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/06/raspberry-pi-pico.html

But as usual, I never really got into the project.  

BTW, this is supposed to be the definitive book by the creators of C:

https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Books/The%20C%20Programming%20Language%20(Kernighan%20Ritchie).pdf

One virtue is that unlike many other computer books (which must get sold by the pound ?) it is a relatively slim volume at 217 pages.

Should I download the fully multigigabyte MPLAB and XC compiler and try to learn C yet another time ?  I'll probably wait for cooler weather.  Summer heat/humidity just can't be good for electrical gear like computers.

Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm