Article
What happens to engineers when AI writes all the code?
Engineers aren’t going away. They'll be piloting the product loop.
Highlights
Passages saved from the original.
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1. Monitoring the situation
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2. Setting direction
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3. Deciding how to build and implement
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4. Evaluating the work of your agents
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5. Improving the entire loop
Summary AI-generated
Summarised by an AI assistant when this source was saved. Double-check against the original.
In summary, the role of the engineer is shifting from writing code to architecting the "software factory" and managing the OODA loop of observation, direction, decision, and evaluation.
- Shift in Role: Engineering is moving from manual coding to "monitoring the situation" and setting strategic direction for AI agents.
- The New Workflow: Engineers now focus on synthesizing information, deciding on technical scope, and evaluating AI-generated output.
- Systems Over Code: High-performing engineers build custom tools (like review agents and monitoring bots) to handle the massive increase in PR volume.
- Self-Driving Products: The ultimate goal is a closed-loop system where agents observe issues, write fixes, and validate results with minimal human intervention.
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