Agile in the Age of AI
The Return to Its Roots
(For a technical audience. Also available on Substack)
For years, the concept of “Agile” has been diluted and distorted by large corporations. The original Agile Manifesto, created in 2001, championed small, self-organizing teams, rapid iteration, and working software over rigid processes.
However, over time, corporations have turned Agile into an overly bureaucratic system filled with excessive meetings, inflexible frameworks, and an obsession with process compliance rather than actual product delivery.
Instead of making corporates agile, agile has become corporate.
This corporate version of Agile has made development slower, burdened engineers with administrative tasks, and replaced real innovation with artificial productivity metrics like the number of Jira tickets closed.
That is about to change.
AI Eliminates Bureaucratic Overhead
Artificial Intelligence is now disrupting this corporate Agile system by automating many of the inefficient processes that were previously required.
AI-driven tools can track progress more accurately than daily stand-up meetings, dynamically optimize backlogs better than manual backlog grooming, and predict development timelines with greater precision than traditional sprint planning.
Instead of forcing engineers into rigid ceremonies, AI can support teams by providing real-time insights, freeing up valuable time for actual coding and problem-solving.
The Rebirth of True Agile
With AI taking over the repetitive and administrative aspects of Agile, teams can return to the foundational principles of the Agile Manifesto.
This means:
- Empowered Developers — Engineers will have greater autonomy to make decisions and iterate quickly without unnecessary oversight.
- Product Over Process — The focus will shift back to building great products rather than following predefined frameworks.
- Fast, Iterative Development — Small, autonomous teams will be able to ship software rapidly, respond to real-world feedback, and continuously improve without being bogged down by bureaucratic rituals.
The End of Process-Driven Agile Practitioners
This shift also signals the decline of roles that exist primarily to enforce Agile as a process rather than a mindset.
Traditional Scrum Masters who act as process enforcers, rather than facilitators of innovation, will become obsolete. Agile coaches clinging to outdated frameworks will find themselves without relevance in an environment where AI provides more efficient solutions.
The industry no longer needs Agile as a rigid system — it needs Agile as a flexible, adaptive approach that enables teams to build and iterate without unnecessary constraints.
The Future of Agile is Lean and AI-Powered
Agile is not dying — it is being reborn in its original form.
AI is removing the inefficiencies that corporate Agile introduced, allowing developers to focus on what truly matters: building great software. The future belongs to teams that embrace AI, minimize bureaucracy, and operate with the speed and autonomy that Agile was always meant to foster.
This is the age of engineering-led, product-focused Agile development — where AI supports innovation instead of stifling it.
