Coding agents hit an awkward middle: superhuman speed, but fragile code nobody can trust
alexisgallagher · x · 2026-09-21
- Author argues coding agents are in a "barely competent enough" intermediate state: they push working code to prod at superhuman pace, and it's just reasonable enough to accept with minimal revision
- But that code doesn't earn the trust it gets — it's often unmaintainable, fragile in subtle, "inhuman" ways you wouldn't think to check for
- Net effect: work is far more efficient yet soul-crushingly monotone, and most workplace text now feels hollow
- Framed as "tough times ahead for the frontliners" — developers stuck between relying on agents and being unable to fully trust them
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