On the duality of GenAI-based development tools

generative AI   genAI development   fast flow   socio-technical architecture  

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A brief note about the duality of GenAI-based development tools. They are simultaneously a mind-virus and an amplifier of organizational sociotechnical capabilities. As an amplifier, they magnify the sociotechnical system an organization already has - for better or worse, yet another duality. The distinction matters, so it’s worth examining both sides.

GenAI is a mind-virus

Many people appear to lack immunity to this mind virus. In advanced cases, symptoms include:

• excessive anthropomorphization - treating a tool based on advanced statistical methods as having agency or reasoning ability, or thinking of it as a junior developer, genie, or team member.
• hyperbolic claims - believing GenAI-based development tools change everything and can replace sound design, engineering judgment, and the discipline required to build complex software systems.

GenAI-based development tools are an amplifier of sociotechnical capabilities

Yet when used appropriately, GenAI-based development tools can boost developer productivity and reduce friction in development tasks. More precisely, they act as an amplifier of an organization’s sociotechnical capabilities - strengthening existing practices and constraints, for better or worse.

GenAI-based development tools in slow flow vs. fast flow organizations

The consequences of using GenAI depend on the type of organization attempting to use it:

• slow flow organization - an organization that delivers software slowly, relies heavily on manual testing, and has weak feedback loops. GenAI-based development tools will likely accelerate the accumulation of defects, rework, and operational risk.

• fast flow organization - an organization with a sociotechnical architecture designed for rapid feedback and learning and the discipline to use GenAI-based development tools appropriately. In this context, GenAI-based development tools can significantly accelerate sustainable software delivery.

GenAI-based development tools are not a substitute for sound architecture or engineering judgment. They are an amplifier of an organization’s strengths and weaknesses - and their impact depends entirely on the organization using them.

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