On AI Coding and Its Discontents
Summary
Cal Newport's essay examines the hype around AI coding tools like Claude Code, recounting a senior engineer's shift to AI-powered coding and the subsequent reliability issues. It argues that AI-generated code can look correct but hide hard-to-spot bugs, risking decreased quality and skill erosion if over-relied upon. The piece advocates a balanced approach: use AI for narrow tasks but continue writing and reviewing code by hand to maintain understanding and long-term reliability.