Overview
Dan Shapiro proposes a five-level framework for AI-assisted programming evolution, from basic autocomplete to fully autonomous software development where humans never review AI-generated code. The model draws parallels to self-driving car automation levels, showing how developer roles transform at each stage.
The Breakdown
- Level 0-1: Basic assistance - from simple autocomplete (GitHub Copilot) to AI writing boilerplate code with full human review, like having a coding intern
- Level 2-3: Collaborative development - AI pair programming where humans review every line, then evolving to AI generating most code while humans become full-time code reviewers
- Level 4: Management transition - humans become engineering managers while AI agents handle the actual development work, collaborating on specs and plans
- Level 5: The Dark Factory approach - fully autonomous software development where humans never review AI code and focus entirely on system design and proving the system works
- Validation-focused methodology - teams using this approach dedicate massive effort to testing, tooling, and simulation rather than code review, treating the AI coding process as a black box