As AI tools dissolve the mechanical friction of coding, engineers risk losing architectural instinct by shipping code they don't fully understand. Drawing on Rich Hickey's distinction between 'easy' (low friction) and 'simple' (low complexity), the argument is that AI makes coding easy but not simple. The solution is for engineers to own the architecture and intent — writing the plan, living in the system daily — while delegating implementation to AI. The role of the engineer shifts from coder to architect of the system that produces software.
