But those aesthetics stem from that need for fewer bugs, performance, maintainability. Identifying/defining code smell comes from experience of what does and doesn’t work.

> I wouldn't care so long as I wasn't expected to maintain it.

But, if you’re the one putting out that software, of course you will have to maintain it! When your users come back with a bug or a “this flow is too slow,” you will have to wade into the innards (at least until AI can do that without mistakes).