A careful first week with an AI coding agent
Agentic coding tools can read a repository, plan a change and edit files. A deliberate first week builds trust and avoids the common mistakes.
By the Halden editorial team
Days one and two
Learn the tool on safe ground.
Pick a repository with good tests and give the agent tasks that are easy to check: explain this module, add a unit test, fix a small bug. Watch how it plans and what it asks permission for.
Days three and four
Add structure.
Write short project rules: how to run tests, naming conventions, areas not to touch. Ask the agent to propose a plan before it edits, and review the plan as you would a colleague's.
- Plan first, then edit.
- Keep changes small and focused.
- Ask it to explain trade-offs.
Day five
Review what worked.
Look at the changes that were merged and the ones you rejected. What kinds of task saved time? Where did it go wrong? Turn the lessons into guidance for the team.
Guardrails
Keep humans accountable.
The agent writes code, but a person owns it. Keep code review, automated tests and security scanning in place, restrict access to secrets, and check licence and data policies for the tool you use.
A next step
Turn this into a decision for your organization.
Explore how AI Implementation works with leaders and teams, or start with a short reflection on where you are today.