Why programmers write documentation for AI assistants but not for colleagues

Summary

Mark Dominus discusses the ironic phenomenon where programmers are willing to write detailed documentation files (like CLAUDE.md and PROJECT.md) for AI coding assistants like Claude, but resist writing similar documentation for their human coworkers. He explores possible reasons including the perception that AI needs more explicit context, the lower social friction of writing for a machine, and the practical benefits of documenting for AI tools that can actually read and act on the documentation. The article reflects on changing developer workflows and attitudes toward documentation in the age of AI-assisted programming.

Source

Hacker NewsWhy programmers write documentation for AI assistants but not for colleaguesblog.plover.com