AI is generating code faster than most engineering organizations can absorb it. Developer output is up 2–5x over baseline and 43% of that AI-generated code needs to be debugged in production, while the incidents-to-PR ratio across engineering orgs has jumped 242.7% as adoption scales. I call this the AI Velocity Paradox: teams are shipping faster and breaking more, at the same time, and the DORA dashboard leadership is watching doesn't show it.

Cognitive erosion sounds like an academic term. It isn't. It's what happens when you lean on AI tools long enough that leaving your job or even just switching tools becomes too painful to consider. Your skills and your tools are now married to your employer. And most people won't realize it until they're already out the door and it's too late.