Why asking AI to code before it understands your codebase is a costly shortcut.

A feature request can fit in one sentence. The changes AI makes to implement it can affect half your application.

The problem often starts with a simple prompt:

“Add a notification system to this application.”

The request sounds reasonable. The AI has a clear objective, and it can generate code quickly. But it doesn't necessarily know how your application handles permissions, where business rules belong, which components are shared, or what existing behavior must remain unchanged.

So it makes assumptions.

It might introduce a new service when an existing one already handles similar operations.…