Is “AI-first development” actually improving software quality, or just speeding up bad decisions

I’m seeing more teams push for AI-first workflows — AI-generated code, AI-assisted architecture decisions, automated testing, even AI-driven planning.

On one hand, it clearly increases speed and lowers entry barriers. On the other, I’m wondering whether it’s actually improving software quality or just helping teams move faster without fully understanding the trade-offs.

Some questions I’m curious about:

• Does AI reduce technical debt, or hide it until later?
• Are teams reviewing AI-generated code with the same rigor as human-written code?
• Is AI making junior developers stronger, or encouraging shallow understanding?
• Where does human judgment still matter the most?

Would love to hear real-world experiences — especially from people working on long-lived or large-scale systems.