Technical Debt from AI-Generated Code: The 2026 Reality
Cursor and Copilot write great code fast. But six months later, you're maintaining a codebase you don't fully understand.
James Wolf
Founder @ SlyDuck
The New Kind of Technical Debt
Traditional technical debt: "We wrote this quickly and cut corners."
AI technical debt: "This works but I'm not entirely sure how or why."
The original author doesn't exist. You can't ask them questions.
How AI Debt Accumulates
The Acceptance Pattern
You prompt, AI generates, you test, you accept. Six months later: "Why is it doing that?"
The Integration Pattern
AI suggests a library you've never used. Your codebase inherits its opinions.
The Context Loss Pattern
AI doesn't know your conventions. Your codebase becomes two styles.
Why This Is Different
- You can't ask the author
- You might know WHAT without knowing WHY
- AI makes implicit decisions you don't see
How to Manage AI Technical Debt
- Read before accepting - Not just skim. Read.
- Document the "why" - What prompt generated this
- Smaller generations - Easier to understand and review
- Test edge cases - AI is great at happy paths
- Refactor regularly - Schedule time to review AI code
- Track dependencies - Know what's in your package.json
The Mindset Shift
AI code isn't "free." It's code you're taking responsibility for.
Ship faster. But don't ship blind.
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AI writes fast. SlyDuck watches what it built—dependencies, performance, security. Take responsibility for code you didn't write line by line.
Monitor AI-Built ProjectsJames Wolf
Founder @ SlyDuck
Building SlyDuck: the growth dashboard for vibe coders. Builder, leader, Dad, creator.
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