PAIR: A Simple Model for AI-Accelerated Apprenticeship
AI should speed work, not erase the training ground. A Seniors-only + AI model boosts short-term output but drains your pipeline and increases risk. Try Senior + Junior + AI: juniors draft with AI, seniors inspect thinking. Treat mentorship as first-class work and measure it. Build great teams. Now.
A quick note: The framework presented here is a working hypothesis based on my experience and observations. The opinions are my own, the examples are illustrative, and this is not company policy or legal advice.
TL;DR (for leaders betting on AI for efficiency)
- If you are considering a "Senior + AI only" model, stress-test the second-order effects on your pipeline, review load, and risk.
- Use Seniors-only + AI as a temporary exception for incidents, regulated changes, or urgent customer commitments.
- One workable lens is Senior + Junior + AI, where juniors draft with AI and seniors inspect thinking.
- Use AI to remove repetitive work, not the training ground itself. This allows juniors to focus on higher-order skills like problem-framing and trade-off analysis from day one.
- If you try this lens, treat mentorship as first-class work and measure it openly.