The Hidden Cost of AI-Generated Code: Cognitive Debt and Intent Debt

"I define cognitive debt as being that understanding of what the system is doing and why, and who knows what across the team." 

In this episode of the HangarDX podcast, Ankit Jain, co-founder and CEO of Aviator, talks to Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, Professor of Computer Science and Canada Research Chair, about
- Why AI is amplifying the problems of poor team understanding
- How cognitive debt and intent debt are the hidden risks of building fast with AI, and 
- Why slowing down might be the most important engineering practice in the age of agents.

00:00 Introduction to Developer Experience and Margaret's Background
02:11 Exploring the SPACE Framework vs. DORA
06:55 Subjectivity in Measuring Developer Productivity
12:15 Impact of AI on Developer Collaboration and Productivity
16:54 Understanding Cognitive and Intent Debt
22:42 Understanding Cognitive Debt in Software Development
26:36 The Impact of Intent Debt on Development
28:07 Measuring Cognitive and Intent Debt
32:20 The Role of AI in Amplifying Challenges
37:24 Balancing Speed and Understanding in Development

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