Updated
Updated · InfoWorld · Jun 17
Software Developers Must Write 2-Part AI Specs as Agents Replace Code With Markdown
Updated
Updated · InfoWorld · Jun 17

Software Developers Must Write 2-Part AI Specs as Agents Replace Code With Markdown

3 articles · Updated · InfoWorld · Jun 17

Summary

  • Agentic development is shifting developers’ work from writing code to writing specifications, with tools like Claude Code, Codex and Copilot taking Markdown prompts as the main input.
  • Complete and concise specs matter because AI agents fill gaps confidently: omit a requirement and they invent one, but add too much prose and they may chase unintended directions.
  • That makes older habits like semi-vague Jira tickets risky, since human teammates could infer intent while current agents still cannot reliably “know what we mean.”
  • The practical implication is that time once spent coding now moves to crafting tighter instructions, making precise written communication a core software skill again.

Insights

How can leaders escape the AI productivity trap of faster coding but riskier, bug-filled software?
With AI handling 80% of execution, is the era of the traditional software coder already over?
As AI automates coding, who captures the value created—the engineers or the companies they work for?