Why AI Code Looks 'Flat' (And How to Give Your Codebase Its Soul Back)

If you have reviewed pull requests from developers who rely heavily on AI coding agents, you have likely noticed a recurring visual pattern: the code looks "flat."

Every function is roughly the same length. Every block is wrapped in symmetrical try-catch blocks. Every variable declaration has an accompanying comment restating the code's syntax. It reads like a textbook example, yet feels curiously soulless.

The Texture Difference: React 19 vs AI Scaffold

To understand why AI code feels flat, compare a snippet from React 19's core Fiber scheduler against a typical LLM-generated scaffold:

```typescript // React 19 Source Code (Human Intent Score: 89%) let didWarnAboutMaps = false; let didWarnAboutGenerators = false; function checkNumberOfYields(workInProgress: Fiber) { if (__DEV__) { if (workInProgress.flags & DidWork) { // Pragmatic conversational flag check return; } } } ```

Notice the human texture in React 19: conversational state flags (`didWarnAboutMaps`), asymmetrical line lengths, and context-specific architectural guards.

Now observe how an LLM scaffolds the same state management logic:

```typescript // AI Generated Scaffold (AI Slop Score: 66%) const [warningState, setWarningState] = useState<{ hasMapWarningBeenIssued: boolean; hasGeneratorWarningBeenIssued: boolean; }>({ hasMapWarningBeenIssued: false, hasGeneratorWarningBeenIssued: false, }); /** * Checks if the number of yields exceeds threshold * @param workItem The item to check */ const checkYields = (workItem: any): boolean => { try { if (workItem) { return true; } return false; } catch (error) { console.error("Error in checkYields", error); return false; } }; ```

3 Ways to Give Your Codebase Its Soul Back

• Delete redundant comments: Remove JSDoc blocks that restate parameter types already declared in TypeScript.
• Use pragmatic variable names: Replace generic `hasMapWarningBeenIssued` flags with concise, conversational names.
• Flatten unnecessary try-catch wrappers: Allow top-level error boundaries to handle unexpected crashes naturally rather than trapping errors in local functions.