Simon Willison 2/15/2026

How Generative and Agentic AI Shift Concern from Technical Debt to Cognitive Debt

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This article discusses the emerging concept of 'cognitive debt,' where reliance on generative and agentic AI leads developers to lose the shared mental model of a system. While AI can produce functional code, the human team's understanding of design decisions and system interactions can fragment, making changes risky and paralyzing progress. It argues this cognitive burden is becoming a greater concern than traditional technical debt.

How Generative and Agentic AI Shift Concern from Technical Debt to Cognitive Debt

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