# Coding with AI Agents is Now a Baseline Expectation for Managers

DevFeed: [Coding with AI Agents is Now a Baseline Expectation for Managers](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/coding-with-ai-agents-is-now-a-baseline-expectation-for-managers-20530.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://code.dblock.org/2026/05/05/coding-with-ai-agents-is-now-a-baseline-expectation-for-managers.html>)

Author: Daniel Doubrovkine (dblock@dblock.org)

Published: 2026-05-05T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Daniel Doubrovkine](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/daniel-doubrovkine.md>)

Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [AI Agent](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-agent.md>), [Developer experience](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/developer-experience.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [Vibe coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/vibe-coding.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [ai-agents](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-agents.md>), [copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/copilot.md>), [developer-experience](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developer-experience.md>), [management](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/management.md>), [people](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/people.md>), [pull-requests](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pull-requests.md>), [vibe-coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/vibe-coding.md>)

## AI overview

An engineering manager argues that managers must become active AI practitioners to lead AI transformation. The author describes joining a small engineering team, using Copilot to contribute to the project, and producing 89 pull requests while also breaking production features and identifying gaps in integration testing.

## Source excerpt

AI-first Engineering is now the operating default in many organizations, including mine. Developers have kept up. Vibe coding became agentic engineering, and the race towards truly autonomous engineering isn't slowing. But what are we, managers, to do? A manager job continues to include recruiting and retaining people, setting clear goals and expectations, fostering communication, owning team workflows, and coaching daily behaviors. To this list we must now add driving AI transformation. Being a passive advocate is not enough. Unlike other subjects, no amount of AI training will help you keep up with the pace of evolution of this technology. Therefore, one cannot drive AI transformation without being an active AI practitioner. But what does being an active AI practitioner look like for a manager? To find out, I landed myself into a small Engineering team (7 people) within my 100+ people organization five weeks ago. This small group develops an essential internal Microsoft system used by every single Engineer at the company. I wanted to learn firsthand about their challenges by onboarding into the project, and maybe contribute 2-3 PRs myself. I decided to dedicate my Copious Free Time™ to this work, to only use Copilot (you can use Claude, or another CLI, too), and to attend the team's daily standup. Before I talk about what I did or learned, I must apologize to the team for giving them a heart attack upon my arrival. It's rare that a VP of Engineering, many levels "above", inserts themselves into any team unless there's some huge, urgent, problem. This wasn't an issue with the specific team, but transforming the way we work remains absolutely urgent, and it's my responsibility to do everything I can to make it happen. Initially, I expected to make 2-3 pull requests. Instead, I was able to make 89 (!), broke at least two production features, but also shipped some meaningful improvements. These fell into several categories. Improved developer experience. I fixed sever