tl;dr: The real problem with AI-generated code isn't the code quality itself, but that engineers and teams increasingly lack understanding of system architecture, design intent, and the reasoning behind decisions—everyone just defers to Claude without thinking. Fast-moving startups and big companies are pushing shipping speed over comprehension, leaving no one able to maintain or reason about the resulting systems. Maintainability remains the final boss, and human judgment around intent, taste, and architecture is more critical than ever precisely because AI can't direct itself.