Writing
Blog
Notes on cognitive debt, AI-assisted code review, and the research behind the predict-then-reveal workflow.
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AI productivity is not a shortcut to competence
Anthropic researchers ran a randomized experiment with 52 Python developers learning a new library. AI assistance lowered their comprehension scores by 17%. The interaction pattern mattered more than the tool.
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Cognitive surrender, defined
Wharton researchers ran three experiments with 1,372 participants to measure what happens when people consult an AI and adopt its answer without re-engaging their own reasoning. They have a name for it now.
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Engineering organizations are institutions too
Hartzog and Silbey argue AI is structurally hostile to civic institutions because it erodes expertise, skips deliberation, and isolates people. Engineering organizations have all three failure modes.
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Introducing Bridgekeeper
Why we are building a Socratic gatekeeper for AI-assisted pull requests, and what cognitive debt means for engineering teams.