E12 Learning AI-powered development with Jacob Beningo

We sit down with Jacob Beningo, a real-time embedded systems consultant with 20 years of experience, to talk about what we've learned teaching engineers to use AI in their development workflows. Turns out, the hard part isn't getting AI to write code—it's all the systems engineering that comes before and after. We discuss common mistakes people make when starting out, like treating AI as a magic code generator instead of a pair programming partner, and why you absolutely cannot skip requirements, architecture, and critical thinking just because the AI can type faster than you.

Jacob shares stories from his training sessions, including an AI that refused to follow test-driven development because "that would take too long." We explore why AI actually forces you to become a better engineer by taking away the dopamine hit of typing code yourself, and why IDE plugins might be leading people astray by keeping them at the wrong level of abstraction. The conversation gets real about costs—both in tokens and electricity bills—and why the "set it and forget it" YouTube hype doesn't match reality. If you're skeptical about AI in embedded systems, good—keep that skepticism. You're going to need it.

Key Topics:

• [03:15] The real challenge: systems engineering, not code generation
• [08:45] Why requirements engineering skills matter more than ever with AI
• [14:20] The push-button module exercise: spending a full day on design before any code
• [16:30] When AI refuses to follow TDD: "That would take too long"
• [22:40] The temperature sensor exercise: when tests pass but the code isn't production-ready
• [28:15] Code is cheap, but experiments aren't free: finding the balance
• [35:50] The hidden costs of AI: token budgets and rising electricity bills
• [42:10] Why IDE plugins might be the wrong interface for AI-assisted development
• [48:30] Using AI as a pair programming partner, not a code completion tool
• [53:20] Keep your skepticism: why critical thinking is more important than ever

Notable Quotes:

"The AI finished writing the code and all the tests in like four seconds. I'm like, how was that so fast? Well, I just wrote all the code. You didn't follow the TDD process? No, that would take too long." — Jacob Beningo

"If you throw in such a vague requirement, the thing can't read their mind and neither can they read its mind. So it's really just a matter of luck what you're going to get." — Luca Ingianni

"The AI is the best puppy you'll ever have. It'll go pick up the stick for you. And you're like, no, not that stick. What do you mean not that stick? You didn't tell me which stick. I grabbed you the stick." — Ryan Torvik

Resources Mentioned:

• Jacob Beningo on LinkedIn - Daily posts about embedded systems development and modernization
• Beningo.com - Jacob's consulting and training services for embedded systems
• Embedded Software Academy - Training courses including AI for embedded systems development
• Embedded Online Conference - Annual May conference for embedded systems education and community
• Agile Embedded Podcast Slack - Community discussion channel mentioned by the hosts