I Wasn’t Expecting Claude To Release This

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00:00:00what really separates the developers who will thrive from those who will get replaced.
00:00:04Ever since AI entered the mainstream, it has started automating a lot of things for us,
00:00:08completely transforming our workflows, as you saw in our previous video that
00:00:12Claude has become an orchestrator of agents. Software developers were the first to adopt
00:00:17it heavily because much of their work involved repetitive code writing which often became
00:00:21inefficient. Now AI is a main part of every developer's workflow, and if you still use
00:00:26AI the same way you did six months ago, you are not keeping up. Upon this scenario,
00:00:31Anthropic released an article discussing trends in software development. As we were talking about
00:00:35it within our team, we found that it was something that was too inherent in our workflow and resonated
00:00:40with us. The software development life cycle is changing dramatically. The cycles that used to take
00:00:46weeks or months are now happening in hours because of AI. The traditional life cycle looked like this.
00:00:51Weeks worth of planning and design, implementation and testing, review, and then the cycle repeated.
00:00:56That changed with AI. Now you only express your intent, and the agent produces an implementation.
00:01:01The only parts where humans are still involved are the review and expressing the intent. The
00:01:05rest is handled by AI agents. This changes what engineering means entirely. Software development
00:01:11doesn't mean writing code anymore. It means orchestrating agents that write code, providing
00:01:16strategic direction, and making sure the system works as intended. Even the onboarding has collapsed
00:01:21from weeks to hours. AI can explore the code base and onboard new joiners immediately. And now,
00:01:26as our focus is on directing agents, everyone is becoming a full stack engineer rather than
00:01:30a specialist in a single domain. Engineers can work with just basic knowledge of their stack,
00:01:35and AI fills the gaps while they lack knowledge. This enables tighter feedback loops and faster
00:01:40learning. Weeks of cross-team coordination become a single working session. This matches exactly what
00:01:45linear's CEO predicted in his article that the middle of the software workflow has been replaced
00:01:50by AI. And if you're still spending your time in the middle phase, you're working against this shift.
00:01:55And this brings us back to the same principle we keep talking about. You need to be effective
00:01:59in your planning and express your intent in clear terms. The skill that matters most now is clarity
00:02:05that is describing exactly what you need and making agents deliver the best product. Before we move on,
00:02:10Team AI Labs is attending the Web Summit 2026 being held in Doha, Qatar. If you are attending
00:02:16or are nearby, this is your chance to meet with the team, connect with us, and learn from us.
00:02:20Looking forward to seeing you there. We've evolved from single agents to multi-agent systems. We have
00:02:26already covered this in our previous video that Claude Code has now implemented multi-agent
00:02:31architecture inside their product. Earlier, the structure used to handle development with a single
00:02:36agent having a single context window and managing all the tasks by itself. The problem was a single
00:02:41context window got bloated fast because there was too much information in its working memory,
00:02:46making it lose focus. Now there's an orchestrator agent that acts like a project manager and
00:02:51delegates tasks to specialist agents. Each of the agents has its own context window and then
00:02:56integrates the output to produce the final result. Even though Claude handles agent spawning and
00:03:00management on its own, we create our own agents for specialized tasks. We use these agents because
00:03:06they were tailored according to our preferences using different Claude models based on the task's
00:03:10difficulty and containing instructions to guide the agent. Sub-agents have gotten better because
00:03:15you can now let them run in the background, handling different aspects of the application
00:03:18simultaneously, speeding up the whole process. Long-running agents will become more capable.
00:03:24Agents have gone from building feature by feature to being able to build complete systems on their
00:03:28own. This started emerging by late 2025, ever since models like Opus 4.5 and GPT 5.2 were released.
00:03:35In 2026, agents will be able to work for days at a time with minimal human intervention. Previously,
00:03:41agents were handling small parts of an application. Now they're building and testing entire
00:03:46applications and systems while verifying if the system is working before moving on to the next
00:03:50feature. We have dedicated a video explaining how to make long-running systems more effective,
00:03:55which you can check out on the channel. With the right tools and workflows, agents are able to plan,
00:04:00iterate, and they recover from failure at scale. This changes the economics of development. In big
00:04:04companies, software accumulates years of technical debt that nobody had time to address. Now agents
00:04:10can actively work through the backlog. This also opens up a path for entrepreneurs. Previously,
00:04:15the main struggle was the skill gap in time. People had ideas but lacked resources to build them. With
00:04:20autonomous agents, startups can now build and deploy products in days. We also use long-running
00:04:25agents for our tasks. Our workflow for long-running tasks uses Claude.md containing instructions. We
00:04:31guide Claude to test after each implementation. For a feature to be well completed, Claude needs a way
00:04:36to verify it's working. We test using agents internally, and for visual testing we use Claude
00:04:41Chrome. Once testing is completed from both the agent's perspective and visual verification,
00:04:46we commit the changes to Git with descriptive messages. This matters because agents tend to
00:04:50modify code and tests that we didn't ask them to. Git lets us roll back easily. We always ask Claude
00:04:56to document the decisions that were made, so commits are clean and ready to be shipped. To maximize time,
00:05:01we ask Claude to break down tasks into smaller, independent units and assign agents to work on
00:05:06them simultaneously. If you want this Claude.md and the agents so that you can use them for your
00:05:11own projects, you can find them in AI Labs Pro. For those who don't know, it is our recently
00:05:16launched community where you get ready to use templates, prompts, all the commands, and skills
00:05:21that you can plug directly into your projects for this video and all the previous videos. If you've
00:05:25found value in what we do and want to support the channel, this is the best way to do it. Links in the
00:05:30description. Human oversight is scaling through intelligent collaboration. As agents are getting
00:05:35better, they can review outputs much faster than we can. We cannot review large-scale outputs that
00:05:40the models are producing at the same speed as agents do, so we are relying on them for all kinds
00:05:45of reviews like security vulnerabilities, architecture consistency, and quality issues.
00:05:50Going through a code base that you didn't write is draining. Agents handle that now. Agents are also
00:05:55learning to ask for help. Rather than blindly attempting tasks, they know when human input is
00:06:00required and ask questions as part of a team. Our team has already noticed this pattern in Claude.
00:06:05When we said that the output looked bad, it asked clarifying questions about what didn't meet our
00:06:10expectations and how it could improve. Oversight is shifting from reviewing everything to reviewing
00:06:15what matters. We only need to review the exceptional cases where problems might emerge. This also
00:06:20addresses the question of AI replacing developers. Even though AI capabilities are expanding, the role
00:06:26of humans remains central. The main change is the shift from writing code to reviewing code and
00:06:30guiding AI outputs. One of Anthropics engineers said the best practice for working with AI is to
00:06:36use it when you know what the right answer should look like. The people who know the answer are those
00:06:41with real software engineering experience who have learned programming concepts the hard way. And how
00:06:46do you know the right answer when you know which method to use for which purpose? For example,
00:06:50for testing you need to use specific approaches. We've already shown you how to use the test-driven
00:06:56approach, white box testing and black box testing. We've also covered visual testing using tools like
00:07:01the Claude Chrome extension and Puppeteer MCP. Also, if you are enjoying our content, consider
00:07:06pressing the hype button because it helps us create more content like this and reach out to more people.
00:07:12Agentic coding is expanding to new services and users that we have never seen before. Earlier in
00:07:172025, AI coding was mostly effective for popular frameworks and often struggled with systems that
00:07:23use legacy languages or frameworks that are not commonly used. That's why the best working
00:07:28applications were React-based because these were the frameworks model was primarily trained on.
00:07:32By 2026, Agentic coding will expand into contexts that traditional development tools couldn't reach,
00:07:38including support for legacy languages like COBOL, FORTRAN and other domain-specific languages. This
00:07:44will make maintaining legacy systems easier by eliminating the need to navigate through
00:07:48old documentation. AI has made development accessible for non-developers, opening up
00:07:53opportunities to non-traditional developers in fields like cybersecurity, operations and data
00:07:58science. The release of co-work is already signaling progress in this direction. The barriers separating
00:08:03people who code and people who don't are becoming increasingly invisible as AI progresses.
00:08:08For example, someone on a security team can use AI to understand unfamiliar code in
00:08:13order to find issues. Research teams have been using it to build front-end visualizations for
00:08:18their data and non-technical employees are already using AI in areas unfamiliar to them like networking
00:08:24and data analytics. This is something our team has already been doing. One of our team members wasn't
00:08:28familiar with Golang but was tasked to make a back-end for a chat application. They turned on
00:08:33plan mode and created a whole plan by answering the questions about the app. Claude built the entire
00:08:38server in one shot, working exactly as intended. This eliminated the need for wasting time learning
00:08:43a new language for just one task. Productivity gains will reshape software development economics.
00:08:48We already mentioned how timelines have been compressed because agents handle the difficult
00:08:53parts. Three factors reinforce each other agent capabilities, orchestration improvements and human
00:08:58experience. Together they compress timelines and change what's viable to build. Projects that were
00:09:03once considered too difficult are now viable, allowing products to enter the market more quickly.
00:09:08Agents help teams work with fewer people. Project timelines are shorter, letting us achieve faster
00:09:12returns on investment. Features that used to take much longer can now be built in a smaller time
00:09:17frame. But before we move forwards, let's have a word from our sponsor, Luma AI. If you've messed
00:09:22around with AI video before, you know the frustration. It usually feels like a slot machine.
00:09:26But Luma AI's new model, Ray3Modify actually changes the game by giving us the modify capabilities
00:09:33that developers have been waiting for. Instead of just prompting and praying, you can now take a
00:09:37video and completely restyle it, swapping environments or lighting while keeping the
00:09:42original motion and physics fully locked. It respects your input data. It's not just generating
00:09:47random noise. It's video to video that maintains structural integrity. Plus with character reference,
00:09:52you can finally keep your subject consistent across different shots, which is usually impossible.
00:09:57It's the first time an AI video feels like a controllable tool rather than just a toy.
00:10:01Make small productions feel huge. Scan the QR code on the screen or check the link in the pinned
00:10:07comment and try Ray3 in Dream Machine today. There is an increase in the number of non-tech use cases
00:10:12across organizations. Teams in sales, marketing, legal and operations can now use AI coding to
00:10:18automate workflows and build tools without any engineering team support. AI agents can operate
00:10:24directly by their guidance and develop systems. People with domain expertise and deep understanding
00:10:29of the problems they face use agents to initiate solutions themselves. For example, someone working
00:10:34in accounting or other departments understands the problems they face better than anyone else.
00:10:39They can instruct agents and have a working solution without waiting for dev team. Our team has already
00:10:44been using Claude in our workflow. We automated the boring non-development work like documentation,
00:10:49ideation and research by using Claude code, letting us focus on the interesting and creative part of
00:10:55our work. Agenda coding improves security defenses and offensive uses. Security and AI are a double
00:11:00edged sword. The same AI that can navigate your code base and help with onboarding is also capable
00:11:06of exploiting its vulnerabilities. Security knowledge is not limited to security engineers.
00:11:10Any engineer can act as a security reviewer, handling hardening and monitoring of systems.
00:11:15Since security engineers are domain specialists, they still need to be consulted. But combining
00:11:20AI with their knowledge, it becomes easier to build, harden and secure applications. While
00:11:25security engineers can defend the applications, there will be offensive use cases too. Last year,
00:11:30we saw a coordinated attack carried out using Claude code and its tools. This means agentic
00:11:35capabilities will evolve the types of attacks we see, making them more intelligent and harmful
00:11:39than ever. Securing systems is going to become increasingly crucial and engineers will need to
00:11:44focus on security from the start. AI agents will play a growing role in cyber defense systems,
00:11:49enabling responses that match the speed of offensive attacks. We need to prepare before
00:11:53attacks happen. We also expect a rise in zero-day attacks, making proactive preparation even more
00:11:58important. When our team creates an app, we use specialized agents for security. These agents
00:12:03handle code review, testing and server-side security, the layer where we control access.
00:12:08Securing applications can be done using different combinations depending on the application,
00:12:12whether it's built-in skills, reusable commands for build purposes or tools from external MCPs.
00:12:18It is better to use an external tool like CodeRabbit because they're built to catch known
00:12:22vulnerability patterns early. That brings us to the end of this video. If you'd like to support
00:12:26the channel and help us keep making videos like this, you can do so by joining AI Labs Pro.
00:12:31As always, thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next one.

Key Takeaway

In 2026, software engineering has evolved from manual coding into a strategic role of orchestrating multi-agent AI systems that can build entire applications, manage legacy debt, and democratize technical creation across all business departments.

Highlights

The transition from writing code to orchestrating autonomous AI agents as the primary developer role.

Shift from single-agent systems to multi-agent architectures with project manager and specialist roles.

Extension of agentic coding into legacy languages like COBOL and FORTRAN

Timeline

The Evolution of the Software Development Life Cycle

The speaker explores how AI has shifted from a simple automation tool to an orchestrator of complex workflows. Traditional development cycles that once took weeks for planning, implementation, and testing are now compressed into hours. Developers are no longer required to write repetitive code but must instead focus on expressing intent and reviewing AI outputs. This shift redefines engineering as a strategic role focused on direction rather than manual execution. Onboarding new team members has similarly collapsed from weeks to minutes as AI can instantly navigate and explain complex codebases.

From Single Agents to Multi-Agent Architectures

A significant architectural shift is discussed, moving from single agents with bloated context windows to multi-agent systems. The new model uses an orchestrator agent that acts as a project manager, delegating specific tasks to specialized sub-agents. This structure prevents memory loss and allows for parallel processing where sub-agents run in the background to speed up development. The team highlights how they use customized Claude models tailored for different difficulty levels and specific instructions. This evolution allows everyone to function as a full-stack engineer by using AI to fill gaps in domain-specific knowledge.

Long-Running Agents and Economic Impacts

By 2026, agents have moved beyond building feature-by-feature to creating entire systems autonomously over several days. Models like Opus 4.5 and GPT 5.2 have enabled agents to plan, iterate, and recover from failures with minimal human intervention. This change fundamentally alters the economics of development, allowing startups to deploy products in days and big companies to clear years of technical debt. The speaker emphasizes the importance of using a "Claude.md" file for instructions and utilizing Git to manage the modifications agents make to the code. These long-running systems include automated testing and visual verification to ensure high-quality shipping cycles.

The Human Role in AI-Driven Development

Despite the rise of automation, human oversight remains central but has scaled through intelligent collaboration. Humans are now responsible for reviewing high-level architecture and security rather than every line of code. The speaker notes that agents are becoming more collaborative, often asking clarifying questions when results don't meet expectations. A key takeaway is that AI should be used when the developer already knows what a "right answer" looks like, leveraging their fundamental programming knowledge. This section also mentions the Web Summit 2026 in Doha as a venue for meeting the AI Labs team.

Expanding Support for Legacy Systems and Non-Developers

Agentic coding is breaking barriers into legacy languages such as COBOL and FORTRAN, which were previously difficult for AI to handle. This allows organizations to maintain and update old systems without needing to manually parse through outdated documentation. Furthermore, the technology is empowering non-technical employees in data science, cybersecurity, and networking to build their own tools. The speaker shares a case study where a team member unfamiliar with Golang built a complete back-end server using Claude's plan mode. This democratization means that the wall between people who code and people who don't is rapidly disappearing.

Luma AI Sponsor and Video Transformation

The video features a sponsorship segment for Luma AI's new model, Ray3. Unlike older video generators that felt like a "slot machine," Ray3 offers "Modify" capabilities that allow for precise video-to-video editing. This tool enables developers and creators to swap environments and lighting while maintaining the original physics and character consistency. It is described as a controllable production tool rather than a toy, making small-scale productions look significantly more professional. The speaker encourages viewers to check the link in the description to try the Dream Machine technology.

Future of Security and Agentic Defenses

The final section addresses the double-edged sword of AI in cybersecurity, noting that agents can both defend and exploit vulnerabilities. While AI can automate security hardening and monitoring, it also facilitates more sophisticated coordinated attacks and zero-day threats. The speaker recommends proactive preparation and the use of specialized agents or external tools like CodeRabbit to catch vulnerability patterns early. Future security will rely on AI agents that can respond at the same speed as offensive attacks to protect modern applications. The video concludes by inviting viewers to join AI Labs Pro for access to the templates and commands discussed.

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