Re:AI usage generates a fragile codebase
by snarfy on Tuesday November 10, 2026 @06:39AM
(#50438897)
Business incentives create fragile codebases.
AI is a force multiplier in whatever you apply it to. Most software companies output binaries with new features, whether it runs locally or on a server. Binaries with new features. None of the business owners give a shit about what is in the binary. It may be extremely fragile and only work for one type of user, but if they only have one type of user nobody cares. Most software doesn't keep evolving forever and at some point gets rewritten as a 2.0 version or whatever, so the quality was never as important.
It doesn't have to be that way. You can use AI just as effectively to produce quality source code as you can slop binaries. It depends on the business priorities and what is actually important.
The caveat is if you are the one engineer on the team trying to use AI the right way to produce quality source instead of binaries as fast as possible, you might get left behind or let go since your work no longer aligns with the business.
AI is a force multiplier in whatever you apply it to. Most software companies output binaries with new features, whether it runs locally or on a server. Binaries with new features. None of the business owners give a shit about what is in the binary. It may be extremely fragile and only work for one type of user, but if they only have one type of user nobody cares. Most software doesn't keep evolving forever and at some point gets rewritten as a 2.0 version or whatever, so the quality was never as important.
It doesn't have to be that way. You can use AI just as effectively to produce quality source code as you can slop binaries. It depends on the business priorities and what is actually important.
The caveat is if you are the one engineer on the team trying to use AI the right way to produce quality source instead of binaries as fast as possible, you might get left behind or let go since your work no longer aligns with the business.