We Studied 150 Developers Using AI (Here’s What's Actually Changed...)

Dave Farley analyzes research on how AI coding assistants impact long-term software quality, developer productivity, and code maintainability.

AI coding tools like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and ChatGPT are changing how we write software — but are they actually improving long-term software quality, or just accelerating slop? In this episode of Modern Software Engineering, Dave Farley explores the real impact of coding with AI, drawing on published research into human vs AI code maintainability. We look at what happens after the AI has written the code — when the next developer needs to understand, change, refactor, and maintain it. You’ll learn: - Whether AI programming actually harms or helps maintainability - Practical Claude Code tips and insights into how Claude Code agents influence developer productivity - The truth behind vibe coding — including what is vibe coding and where it helps (or hurts) - Why AI vs human debates miss the real issue: engineering skill and design thinking - How AI can amplify good practices — or accelerate bad ones - What serious software engineers should focus on in the age of artificial intelligence This video goes beyond how to use Claude Code and dives into what actually matters in software development: maintainability, design quality, decomposition, and long-term engineering discipline. - 🖇️ Links: 🔗 "Cost of Dev vs Maintenance" ➡️ idealink.tech/blog/software-development-maintenance-true-cos… 🔗 "Initial vs lifetime costs" ➡️ linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-true-cost-software-developm… 🔗 "Codescene's CodeHealth metrics" ➡️ codescene.com/product/code-health 🔗 "SPACE productivity metrics" ➡️ developer.microsoft.com/en-us/developer-experience 🔗 "Same Game, Different Dice", Jason Gorman, ➡️ codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/the-ai-ready-software-d… - Dave on: X ➡️ x.com/davefarley77 LinkedIn ➡️ linkedin.com/in/dave-farley-a67927/ bluesky ➡️ bsky.app/profile/davefarley77.bsky.social Modern Software Engineering on X ➡️ x.com/ModernSoftwareX Modern Software Engineering on LinkedIn ➡️ linkedin.com/company/modern-software-engineering Modern Software Engineering on bluesky ➡️ bsky.app/profile/modernswe.bsky.social - ✉️ JOIN OUR MAILING LIST: Keep up to date with all MSE & CD activities from Dave & other channel presenters, access free guides, exclusive discounts on courses, books and MORE by joining our mailing list. Sign up via the link and start receiving your updates ➡️ subscribepage.com/cd-maillist 🎓 ATDD & BDD COURSE: I have THREE 5⭐ online courses on acceptance testing designed to meet the needs of different software development roles. Pick the course that is right for you! ➡️ courses.cd.training/pages/acceptance-testing - ⭐ PATREON: Join the Continuous Delivery community and access extra perks & content! ➡️ bit.ly/ContinuousDeliveryPatreon 🎥 Join Us On TikTok ➡️ tiktok.com/@modern.s.engineering - 👕 T-S