· Alexander Vukovic

AI pair-programming in 2026: what has changed

A year of Claude/Cursor/Copilot on the team — taking stock

What works (well)

  • TDD becomes more reliable because agents run the test cycle automatically
  • Documentation emerges as a side effect — Architecture Decision Records, onboarding skills
  • Refactoring cost drops drastically because tests provide the safety net

What does not work

  • Agents without test discipline ship code that “seems to work” — and breaks in production
  • Magic numbers slip through more often unless you actively guard against them
  • Long sessions without commits lose context, fragment refactorings

What we recommend

  1. Setup: Claude Code + Cursor + Aider, depending on the task
  2. Strict test-first pattern
  3. Small, frequent commits
  4. Keep Architecture Decision Records alive