---
title: "Cause & Effect 10: Software engineering in the age of AI"
description: "John De Goes, Michael Arnaldi, and Johannes Schickling discuss engineering judgment as code gets cheaper."
plain: "As code gets cheap, the speakers say system shape, verification and control of complexity matter more."
group: source
speaker: "John De Goes, Michael Arnaldi, and Johannes Schickling"
date: 2026-08-07
url: https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do
sources:
  - url: https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do
    title: "Software Engineering in the Age of AI || John De Goes || Cause & Effect 10 - YouTube"
    publisher: "John De Goes, Michael Arnaldi, and Johannes Schickling"
    note: "Recording; used for engineering judgment and executable quality rules as code gets cheaper."
    accessed: "2026-10-01"
---

# Cause & Effect 10: Software engineering in the age of AI

> For agents: start with the [agent guide](https://ratstack.sh/llms.txt). Every page is Markdown by default; add `Accept: text/html` for HTML.

New on /news: [Effect Office Hours 52 with Resonate HQ](/news).

The speakers argue that coding agents change the value of software engineering without removing programming languages or experienced judgment. Cheap code makes building blocks, system structure, verification, and control of complexity more important. [07:47](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=467) [30:06](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=1806) [44:51](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=2691)

They connect Effect and ZIO's properties needed in running applications to agent-written work, and discuss making quality rules executable through types, linting, and review. [50:14](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=3014) [52:26](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=3146) [58:23](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do?t=3503)

## Sources

1. [Software Engineering in the Age of AI || John De Goes || Cause & Effect 10 - YouTube](https://youtu.be/irmz5X3c7Do)
   John De Goes, Michael Arnaldi, and Johannes Schickling. Recording; used for engineering judgment and executable quality rules as code gets cheaper. Accessed 2026-10-01.

## Linked from

- Agent guide → An Effect stack so pure (aspirational) Kit Langton will blush. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/llms.txt)

- Change log → What changed in the files served here, newest first. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/log)

- Effect's design lineage → Michael Arnaldi describes Effect's path from financial software needs through ZIO influence and TypeScript iterations. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/lore/effect-design-lineage)

- Full agent guide → An Effect stack so pure (aspirational) Kit Langton will blush. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/llms-full.txt)

- Rat Stack lore | rat-stack → Short, source-grounded notes on the ideas and decisions behind rat-stack. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/lore)

- Source change history (log.md) → The generated change log as Markdown. → [Read page](https://ratstack.sh/log.md)