2 min lesson
Change-shaping: 'agent completed' is not 'ready to merge'
Take this situation: "An agent produces a single PR touching 30 files that 'works.' What's the senior move?" Lead with your decision, then add the reason.
Step 1 of 4
The most dangerous moment in agent-driven development is the green checkmark. "The agent finished" only means it stopped. It tells you nothing about whether the change is correct, scoped or safe to merge. Shaping the change is where senior engineers earn their keep.
Learn more
Full explanation
The ownership rule (memorize this)
The ownership rule (memorize this)
Say it like this
"Generated code is owned by the developer who submits it. The agent is a tool; the human is accountable. There is no 'the AI wrote it' defense in code review."
This single rule resolves most of the cultural anxiety around AI code:
- It preserves separation of dutiesNo single person can author, approve and deploy the same change. The core control AI autonomy has to respect. Press Enter for the full definition. - the author is still distinct from the reviewer - and keeps accountability with a named human.
- It turns AI-code-tracking and audit logs into evidence rather than surveillance.
Provenance stays visible and responsibility stays clear.