The Illusion of "Free" Code
It’s simple to get swept away by the allure of AI-created code that’s quick, inexpensive, and “good enough.” But the problem with all this is:
• AI does not comprehend your business rules.
• It doesn’t matter to AI how scalable your tech stack is.
• AI is not verified for edge cases, security, or pragmatic realism.
This means that what you’re actually trying to build is something that looks like “software.” And let’s get real; when “real users” start “clicking, searching, and paying,” things start to break.
Then comes the realization that “maintaining” that kind of product incurs higher costs compared to the cost incurred during the process of designing it correctly the first time around.
Introduction
Code produced by AI is also enjoying its fifteen days of fame. GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can enact complete functions, modules, and MVPs in a fraction of time compared to code produced by a human programmer. What more can a start-up ask for?
But here’s the catch: not only are products developed quicker using AI, but they also plant landmines within your code. And trust me, once you go live, they will go bang.
“We’ve definitely witnessed the trend at Appricotsoft. Founders, particularly those who aren’t steeped in technical knowledge, start out very enthusiastic about AI development, but also very frustrated about the long-run costs. And the truth is, the cost of the future of your business extends well beyond dollars and cents.”
Now, let’s dig deeper into the underlying cost of sustaining AI-generated products – and how you can steer clear of this pitfall.
1. Code that’s hard to understand (even for members of your own team)
“AI-written code typically lacks consistency, structure, and documentation. It does what it needs to do for now, but ask a senior developer to modify or fix it in three months, and you’ll hear:”
“What is this thing even doing?”
This means that the time taken to carry out the onboarding process is higher. This implies that the time spent during the development process is longer. Moreover, the code has a higher probability of containing errors. The longer the time your developers waste trying to
Tip: Early professional code quality analysis can help identify trouble areas before they get systemic
2. Security Vulnerabilities Are Baked In
AI doesn’t think like a hacker. AI doesn’t have the ability to predict how attackers might abuse software. This could lead to your software having major security vulnerabilities, from lacking authentication verification to exposing hardcoded authentication.
According to research undertaken by Stanford and OpenAI in 2023, the use of AI code increased the introduction of security vulnerabilities compared to the use of human-developed code.
Therefore, “if you are involved in fintech, healthtech, or deal with any sensitive data at all,” be warned: “the short-term gains could quickly become a PR disaster (or worse) downstream.”
A secure code review of the AI prior to launch is always recommended. Prevention is better than cure and much cheaper.
3. Technical Debt Snowball
Your MVP is launched. It “works.” People start signing up. Growth ensues.
And then you want to add a feature. Now your devs will say, “We need to refactor a huge chunk of the system first.”
Why? It’s because AI-produced products often prioritize shortcuts over architecture. Poor architecture results in tech debt, which multiplies with every sprint.
Appricotsoft has also helped its clients clean up projects in which AI code was taking up to 60% of their development times.
RELATED READ: AI Likes Bad Architecture – And It Will Hurt You Down The Road – issues related to the application of AI in building MVP.
4. Scaling Painfully - Or Not at All
Maybe you can get to 1,000. But how will you scale when you have 100,000 users?
• A number of APIs struggle under the pressure
• Caching schemes do not exist.
• There is no normalization.
• The app begins to crawl or simply crashes.
Scale is not in the plans for the AI. They build for the moment. Your investors, however, and your customers expect future-proofing.
Growth startups usually need a tech audit for scalability before going for a fresh round of funding, which we provide as a part of our software audit services.
5. Hidden Costs Affect Non-Technical Founders the Worst
If you don’t understand the technical side, then AI is a superpower. Conversely, AI can also be your blind spot.
We have also seen tech-less founders outsource production work to AI computer systems or the “AI-first dev shop” and then hire a human Dev shop later on after realizing the mess AI made.
This leads to:
• Skewed Roadmaps
• Eroded user trust
• Unbudgeted extra expenditures you didn’t budget for.
And worst of all, burnout and momentum are lost.
Don’t go it alone. Even with technology like AI on your side, a reliable development partner, like Appricotsoft, provides you with a clear view, accountability, and future tranquility.
What’s the Brighter Way, Then?
We’re not anti-AI. To the contrary, we now employ various AI tools to quicken the production of boilerplate code and its testing. The key difference is that:
We consider AI a tool, not a developer.
“At Appricotsoft, we are passionate about producing software we are proud of. We integrate the benefits of automation technology with human insight, extensive documentation, and scalable architecture right from the start,”
Our audit and code review capabilities benefit founders in the following ways:
✔ Validate code generated by AI before putting it into production
✔ Identify critical bugs, discrepancies, and vulnerabilities
✔ Reconstruct breakable systems into maintainable and scalable systems
✔ Don’t pay twice for ‘fix and refactor’ later on
Interested in learning how we’ve helped founders like yourself? Check out this post: How to Verify AI-Generated Code Before Shipping
Conclusion: AI is Fast. But Real Software Takes Care
There is a temptation to just sprint with AI. But if you are working on a product for actual users and actual growth, then quality, maintainability, and architecture do matter – a lot.
The price of upkeeping AI products can be not only concealed but also increasing with each line of code you fail to inspect, each glitch you overlook, and each cut corner you take.
At Appricotsoft, we assist founders in creating something that will last. Something that will scale. Something we can proudly claim, “We made this.”
Now, let’s make your product something you can be proud of. Let’s talk.