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Plan mode is dead

591 points · 510 comments · jmvldz

  1. taurath · · focus · HN ↗
    I'm actively watching understanding slip away from developers, code review getting paired down to no comment checkmarks, and codebases go to bloated messes that nobody can read. Axioms like engineers must understand and take responsibility for the code they ship are getting torn down, and the products coming out are reflecting conway's law, becoming impenetrably obtuse and always "so complex there are no obvious deficiencies" (as opposed to "so simple there are no obvious deficiencies" which used to be the aim).

    The one thing plan mode helped is for the humans to get an understanding of the strategy, and be able to poke around and look at the design and architecture. You can achieve this with some self discipline and keeping shorter leashes on agents, but it feels like a losing battle. The best devs still put out good code, but the poor devs are learning nothing while their metrics look great. I can't help but think we are racking up immense amounts of debt that will very soon become due.

    1. gonzalohm · · focus · HN ↗
      100% this. Some people are basically adding AI as a dependency for their projects. They no longer understand the code
      1. swat535 · · focus · HN ↗
        In many places it's demanded by upper management that devs use AI.. so even if engineers wanted to avoid using it, they would have to meet their quotas.

        This is what happens when executives suffer from AI psychosis. They were already impatient, now with AI all they care about is feature velocity.

        The faster they can hit that refresh button to see the features, the quicker sales can close the deals for them.

        AI has basically sold them to wet dream.

        1. noisy_boy · · focus · HN ↗
          I am reminded of the cartoons where the car kept going faster and faster, the driver kept pushing on the pedal, parts started to fly out, the gauges started to go in circles, smoke started to billow out of everywhere and then boom!

          I guess we just wait for the boom.

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