AI-First, Engineer-Led

Now that the machine writes the code well, the engineer’s craft moves to the floor the machine works on.

I became an engineer because I like building things that work — and, hopefully, things that are a little remarkable. The code was always how I got there; it was never the point of it. So when a machine arrives that can write that code, and write it well, it doesn’t take the craft away. It gives me a better question: now that the machine is this good, how do I get the most out of it — more built, and built better?

This is exactly the kind of problem I enjoy most. I design the thing that works — the structure, the constraints, the way the parts fit. When the machine takes over the writing, that instinct doesn’t go away; it moves to where it matters most now, which is the environment the machine works in.

There’s a name people are starting to use for this work — harness engineering — and the idea behind it is good: an agent does better when you design the environment it builds inside, instead of just giving it a prompt and hoping for the best. Give it the real shape of the code, clear constraints, and a way to check itself, and the output stops being a gamble. If a machine fails, it’s my problem.

A picture from the real world helps here. Think of the engineer who runs a factory floor. The machines do the making; the engineer…