The Abstraction Paradox: We Build on Systems We Don't Fully Understand
A discussion about whether developers should understand the layers beneath their code as AI tools and high-level abstractions proliferate. Proponents say abstractions and AI boost productivity by letting teams focus on business goals, but critics warn this can erode situational awareness, create ownership gaps, and produce fragile, hard-to-trace systems. The thread covers dependency churn, testing, and governance, urging a balance between high-level efficiency and enough knowledge of interfaces, architecture, and rationale to ensure reliability and accountability.