Andrew Ng: Steering Coding Agents Is Now a Core AI Engineering Skill
AndrewYNg · x · 2026-09-04
Andrew Ng published a new article arguing that using coding agents is a key AI engineering skill — and one that's evolving faster than any other top-level skill.
Key points:
- Steering agents covers non-code tasks too, like data analysis and system operations;
- Proprietary agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) and open agents (OpenCode, Pi) improve via both harness and model upgrades, demanding continuous experimentation;
- After interviewing dozens of top AI engineers and reflecting on his team's practice, he distills a consistent high-level workflow, with Planning as a crucial step.
Related event: Andrew Ng: Driving Coding Agents Is a Core AI Engineering Skill(3 posts)→
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