Practice · 2021–now · AI Present
AI pair programming
Autocomplete that actually understands the file. Changing how code is written faster than how it's reviewed.
Copilot-style tools stuck because typing boilerplate is not where senior engineers create value. Review and ownership lag behind generation speed — that is a process problem, not a reason to unplug. The fad layer is assuming correctness; the tool layer is real.
Case studies
Patterns
Context
The stack gets a co-pilot
AI pair programming is already changing how code is written. Agent frameworks and vector stores are still sorting winners from demos. The durable layer will look familiar: evals, retrieval quality, product UX, and ownership. Autopilot rewrites without tests are just big-bang migrations with better slides.
Compare with
Related
Framework · 2023–now
LLM app frameworks
Chains, agents, and prompt wrappers shipping weekly. The durable pieces will be boring: evals, retrieval, and product UX.
Language · 2012–now
TypeScript
JS with a typechecker that conquered the ecosystem. The rare fad that became the floor.
Practice · 2023–now
AI will rewrite the codebase
Big-bang rewrite, now with a chatbot. Same failure mode; prettier slides.
$ Exec decks promised autonomous migrations "by next quarter." Teams that skipped tests, ownership, and incremental strangler patterns bought expensive demos and fragile diffs.