AI coding creates two kinds of debt. You’re only measuring one

Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey of the University of Victoria introduced the term 'cognitive debt' in October 2025 to describe the hidden cost of AI-generated code that engineers cannot understand. Unlike traditional technical debt, cognitive debt accumulates when teams lose track of system logic and rationale, with satisfaction scores masking the problem.

June 18, 2026 Estimated reading time: 9 minutes Key takeaways: Cognitive debt is the technical debt nobody is measuring. When AI generates code faster than engineers can understand it, teams lose track of what their system does and why.- The tool isn’t the problem – the relationship with it is : two interns used AI at the same frequency. The difference? Whether they engaged with what it produced. Your satisfaction scores are hiding the problem The most reliable signal isn’t how engineers feel, it’s whether their skills are actually developing. Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, professor of computer science at the University of Victoria, first used the term ‘cognitive debt’ in October 2025 while teaching an entrepreneurship startup course. Join LeadDev.com for free to access this content June 18, 2026