The AI Developer's Field Guide: Volume I: Classes, Monsters, and Anti Patterns in Coding

The AI Developer's Field GuideClasses, Monsters, and Anti-Patterns in AI CodingGenerative AI has changed software development. It has also introduced a new class of failure.Code can now look correct, pass tests, and still be wrong in ways that only show up later-in production, in edge cases, or in the hands of the next developer. This book is about those failures.What This Book Covers- The most common AI coding anti-patterns in modern software teams- How tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Claude change code quality, review, and architecture- Why AI-generated code often produces plausible but incorrect results- How technical debt forms faster in AI-assisted development workflows- Practical techniques for code review, testing, and prompt discipline A Practical Framework for AI-Assisted DevelopmentThis book introduces a working vocabulary for understanding how teams actually behave with AI: - Developer archetypes (Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Cleric)- Failure modes (Scope Creep Kraken, Congealing Slop, Phantom Intern, and others)- Tool-driven patterns that emerge from real-world usageThese are not metaphors for their own sake. They are labels for repeatable problems teams encounter when using AI to write code. Who This Is For- Software engineers using AI coding tools- Engineering managers and technical leads- Teams adopting AI-assisted software development- Anyone responsible for code quality, maintainability, and delivery The ProblemAI makes it easy to generate code faster than you can understand it.That creates predictable issues: - Systems that grow quickly but are difficult to maintain- Code that passes review but fails under real conditions- Teams that ship more while understanding lessWithout shared language, these problems are hard to identify and harder to fix. This book provides that language. What You Get- A clear way to diagnose problems in AI-generated code- Patterns you can reference in code reviews and retrospectives- Concrete practices that improve how teams use AI tools- A framework for staying effective as development continues to changeThis book helps you avoid the most common mistakes-and build better habits before they become defaults.