Counterpoint on AI Coding Agents: Write Clean Code Today So Tomorrow's Models Can Clean It Up

ultimussaeculi · x · 2026-09-21

Responding to a viral complaint that AI coding agents pile up code debt, one user argues for a different workflow: models will only get better, so be specific about what you want, keep copious notes, have taste, avoid kitchen-sink designs, and follow solid design principles — so that a far more capable model in two years can clean up and deliver measurable improvement. His core advice: "Don't build the world. Build a piece of it you have a use for today." The critic replied that after waiting a year, models got worse instead.

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