AI coding agents shift software development toward removing features

The author argues that the rise of AI coding agents shifts the act of software development from building up through incremental additions to carving down from expansive AI-generated blocks. Drawing an analogy to Michelangelo's view of sculpture as working 'per forza di levare' (by taking away), the essay suggests that product taste now lies in knowing what features to remove, defining a clear mental model, and exercising restraint against the temptation of over-generation. Open article →