As we move into 2026, the paradigm of AI in software engineering is shifting. We are moving past the "Copilot" era—where AI simply suggests lines of code—into the era of autonomous agentic workflows.
### What are Agentic Workflows?
Unlike traditional LLM interactions that follow a single-turn prompt-response cycle, agentic workflows use AI agents that can:
1. **Plan**: Break down complex requirements into actionable steps.
2. **Execute**: Use tools (terminals, browsers, compilers) to perform tasks.
3. **Verify**: Run tests and check their own work.
4. **Iterate**: Debug and fix issues without human intervention.
### Why This Matters for You
For the modern software engineer, this means a shift from being a "writer of code" to being an "architect of agents." By leveraging tools that can handle the boilerplate and the mundane debugging cycles, engineers can focus on high-level system design and product strategy.
In this newsletter, we'll continue to explore the tools and techniques that define this new frontier.
Stay curious, stay technical.
— Chat Engineer