The Prompt-Wait-Evaluate Loop: How AI Kills Flow Without You Noticing

This article explores how the interaction with AI can disrupt the flow state in creative and productive tasks. It discusses the implications of constant interruptions and the cognitive load imposed by AI systems.

From the article

A few months ago, I wrote about finding joy in programming in the age of AI . In the personal discussions I’ve had with fellow developers — both before and after that article — one thing keeps striking me. Most people don’t argue. They just say: yes, that’s exactly how it feels .

But a question kept coming up in those conversations: why does it feel this way? Not in the philosophical sense — I covered that. In the mechanical sense. What is actually happening to our attention when we work with AI coding assistants?

I want to explore that topic more deeply, because I think understanding the mechanism matters. It’s the difference between vaguely sensing that something is off and being able to do something about it.

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