Code is no longer the product: Milanović on software engineering when agents write the code
rseroter · x · 2026-09-09
Milan Milanović's newsletter piece surveys where software engineering goes once coding agents write most software. Key points: code was never the product and is becoming the cheapest part of development; the hard part shifts to judgment and fast feedback loops; specification becomes the real programming since agents can't translate vague requests; verification gets harder than generation (automated agent gates as one answer); and architecture becomes a control mechanism for agents. Engineers remain essential, but value moves beyond writing code.
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