The Loom Is Here: 12 Months of AI-Augmented Engineering (medium.com)

In a thought-provoking article, Shelby Vanhooser shares insights from her year-long experience leading an engineering team at the startup Ontologize, highlighting the transformative impact of AI on software development. Vanhooser contrasts the early Industrial Revolution's spinning jenny with modern AI-assisted coding, arguing that just as the loom redefined the weaver's role, AI is fundamentally changing how engineers create and maintain software. Despite varying reports on productivity increases from AI tools, Vanhooser's team showcased remarkable outputs, merging over 500 pull requests in months and maintaining a robust 2:1 test-to-source ratio—all achieved with just three engineers. The significance of this shift for the AI/ML community lies in its implications for team structure and software engineering workflows. This transformation suggests that teams that reorganize around AI capabilities can experience exponential increases in productivity and quality, blurring the lines between speed and thoroughness. As the roles of developers evolve towards overseeing AI processes and maintaining quality, the future promises smaller, more efficient teams that leverage AI-driven automation to achieve results previously thought possible only with much larger groups. This new landscape demands a rethinking of engineering practices and skill sets, emphasizing the need for architects who can manage AI outputs effectively.