The Age of Async Agents — Cognition's Walden Yan & OpenInspect's Cole Murray
In a recent episode of Latent Space, Cognition's Walden Yan and OpenInspect's Cole Murray explored the evolution of AI agents in software development. They revealed that 80% of Devin's commits are now automated, moving from simple code suggestions to full spec-to-PR workflows. These agents operate on full virtual machines with persistent memory, enabling them to manage complex, multi-step tasks. A notable consequence is that product managers are now shipping code directly, bypassing traditional developer bottlenecks. The conversation underscores a shift toward asynchronous, agent-driven development where human oversight focuses on specification and review rather than manual implementation. This paradigm promises faster iteration and reduced time-to-market for features.
Agents now handle 80% of commits, letting PMs ship code directly.