AI for coding works so well because code has a bunch of built in self checks that allow an agent trained with reinforcement learning to find what works and what doesn’t. This will not so easily translate to eg machine design until we have way better simulations or much more “embodied AI” (robots).
Jan 29, 2026 at 8:47 PM
AI Code
As AI Coding Agents write more code, it's more important than ever that we're intentional about the code it writes.
Developers say AI coding tools work—and that's precisely what worries them
Ars spoke to several software devs about AI and found enthusiasm tempered by unease.
AI coding agents generate more code, but not more software
Study finds coding efficiency gains get "absorbed" by human review "bottleneck."
Why AI hasn’t replaced software engineers, and won’t
Coding agents as normal technology
AI should help us produce better code - Agentic Engineering Patterns
AI should help us produce better code - Agentic Engineering Patterns
AI Is a Waste of Time
The newest AI tools are accelerating basic research and scaring the general public. But many people are simply using them as toys.
Writing Code vs. Shipping Code: Productivity Effects Across Generations of AI Coding Tools
How do the productivity effects of AI evolve across successive generations of tools, and to what extent do task-level gains ultimately translate into final outp
Writing Code vs. Shipping Code: Productivity Effects Across Generations of AI Coding Tools
How do the productivity effects of AI evolve across successive generations of tools, and to what extent do task-level gains ultimately translate into final outp
I'm done using AI
Why I'm stopping using AI for coding (and anything else) after using it earnestly for a year and coming to understand the harms it causes on personal, societal, and environmental levels.
AI Coding is Gambling
GambleAI I’ve been coding a lot with AI since November, when we all noticed it got really good. And it is quite good for instantly generating something th...
If AI is so good at coding … where are the open source contributions?
You can hardly get online these days without hearing some AI booster talk about how AI coding is going to replace human programmers. AI code is absolutely up to production quality! Also, you’re all…
AI in the workplace vs. AI in education
Quoting Dan Willingham: Students should only use AI for things that they already know how to do well.
My impression is that AI coding is on a "pick two of three" triangle: scope, ship speed, and correctness. Small tools are (speed + correctness) fast prototypes are (speed + scope) and big projects are (scope + correctness). Every project that tries to be all three degrades to "fast prototype."
My impression is that AI coding is on a "pick two of three" triangle: scope, ship speed, and correctness. Small tools are (speed + correctness) fast prototypes are (speed + scope) and big projects are (scope + correctness). Every project that tries to be all three degrades to "fast prototype."
