AI as a Software Engineer: Limits of Autonomy in Real-World Systems

The narrative that AI will soon replace software engineers is compelling, but incomplete. After working closely with modern large language models in production systems, a more nuanced reality emerges: AI is undeniably powerful, yet fundamentally constrained when operating autonomously in real-world environments. The gap between writing code and owning systems is where autonomy begins to fracture. This article explores that boundary - not from hype, but from observed behavior, system design const