AI-assisted coding and verification
Coding with AI assistants: the rules interviews set, common failure modes, owning every line, directing the AI and verifying what it writes.
7 lessons
Regimes and ownership
- 1The three AI regimes and their rulesEach round sets its own AI rule: confirm it, follow it exactly, and make allowed AI use visible.
- 2The three AI failure modesIn an AI-assisted round you are scored on owning the decisions; showing off, racing and handing off each lose that.
- 3Owning every line, out loudAny line you keep from the assistant is yours to explain, so say why you prompt, what you expect, and how you'll check.
- 4AI-free fluency (Bare mode)Bare mode hands back what the tools did for you: recall each contract, run the code in your head, and practise exactly that.
Directing and verifying
- 5Directing the AI: keep the plan, ask for one step at a time, and hand over what the step must fitPlan the steps yourself, then ask for one at a time, handing over what that step's code must fit.
- 6The verification loop for generated codeCheck generated code against the brief, on your own stack, before you accept it.
- 7Rejecting wrong AI suggestionsJudge an AI suggestion against your installed versions and trust rules, then refuse it with a reason.