The rate of change - in the face of AI
From OS updates to libraries, code bases, the level of fast distribution across the globe. Could a slowdown help here?
"Software is eating the world." Truer than ever. Accelerating, seemingly out of control.
AI coding assistants
Let's jump right into it:
I have produced more code in the past year than in the past 10 years combined.
Why?
Because it is just so easy.
Did I write every single line myself? No, of course, not. AI did most of the work. I was there to review, debug, bug-fix, and overall drive the entire development effort.
Does the number of lines of code produced matter any more?
Nope. Not at all. It never was a true metric. These days though it produces a few more issues:
- more code, more maintenance
- more code, more potential vulnerabilities
- more code, less time to make proper reviews
- more code, more potential bugs
- more code, .... you get the idea.
Spec driven development
Besides the AI coding assistants - I love working in Windsurf or use Claude Code - what elevated the key problem to a whole new level was spec driven development.
Don't get me wrong: this is the right direction to take. At minimum we are now capturing the original (and ever changing) requirements too, as part of the documentation.
Seemingly all good, except considering the biggest global, major flaw:
Spec driven development produces so much artifacts, that it is getting impossible to review.
More precisely, so much artifacts within such a short period of time, that it is nearly impossible to catch up.
Unless, you slow down.
Take your specs, flash them out, let AI do the magic and then...
...then revisit every single README, every single checklist, verify every single change.
Supply chain attacks, vulnerabilities in libraries
The rate of change is so high, small teams and single maintainers are struggling. Just look at the latest FFmpeg hot take.
On the other hand AI is used on the "other side" to scale up attacks.
Seemingly a losing situation.
The inflection point
Software Engineers losing their jobs because of AI? Hah! 😄 What a joke!
At this moment in time we still need way more good engineers to keep the world running.
Later AI might step in with an even bigger force - but that will be different:
Code will no longer be the common language between human and machine. Code will still matter a LOT, hopefully with guardrails in place the code will do what the original intention was.
What is your take?
Would a general slowdown solve some of the imminent problems in the software world?
