Coding with AI doesn't reduce rigor
Coding with AI doesn't reduce rigor. It increases the penalty for skipping it.
The more I use AI for code, the clearer this gets:
Tests stop being optional. One small prompt change can ripple through the codebase in ways you didn't explicitly ask for. Without tests, you won't notice until production. Generated boilerplate is often safer than hand-written glue code. LLMs default to guards, edge cases, and patterns many developers still skip when moving fast. The real work shifts earlier. You spend less time typing and more time scoping, modeling, and deciding what should exist before any code is written.
Net effect: If you know what good code looks like, AI pushes you toward better code, not sloppier code.
Less improvisation. More intent. More architecture.