Chapter 18: The proof

What nobody has measured

The questions with no good study behind them yet. For agent-written code the biggest is this: does it cause more production incidents? We found no primary, peer-reviewed measurement, and saying so is a stronger answer than filling the gap.

An agent asked for a statistic will find something that sounds like one. Stories about agents deleting databases are real, and they are stories, so they can't give you a rate. A number with no source is the easiest thing in an interview to catch.

Say it to your agent

“Search for a primary study measuring production incident rates from AI-written code. List what you searched and what you opened. If you find none, say "I found none" and stop. Don't stretch a nearby figure to fit, and don't cite a page you haven't read.”

The workshop

Name a word, or describe what you mean in everyday language.