Amazon warns engineers just using more AI doesn't make them more productive, says they should avoid tokenmaxxing

Date:
Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:05:00 +0000

Description:
"Deeply flawed" metrics such as AI token usage aren't always a good measure
of success, Amazon tells engineers.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Amazon urges developers not to blindly focus on AI tool usage The era of the "Renaissance Developer" using all kinds of AI is here It also urges workers to shun tokenmaxxing, and focus on building a deeper connection with customers Amazon has told its engineers to look beyond simply using AI to ensure their work gets done, and focus instead on the results of their labor.

In a memo sent to its workforce, the company warned against using deeply flawed metrics such as AI token usage or code generation as a measure of team success. It also cautioned against workers chasing "tokenmaxxing", noting
how, "our most prolific engineers have demonstrated that neither the
developer role nor their output is defined by the use of AI." Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: The age of the "Renaissance Developer" The memo, written by Terk Terkowitz, Amazon VP/Distinguished Engineer, Worldwide, and entitled "An update from Amazon engineering leadership on the role of the developer in the age of AI", signaled the apparent beginning of a new era in how the company defines its workers in the age of AI.

This includes the age of the "Renaissance Developer", who is able to blend AI tools with human judgment and domain expertise "to build entirely new
things". You may like 'Tokenmaxxing is not what we are optimizing for': Microsoft tells engineer to calm down on AI usage AI success depends on business outcomes, not usage vanity metrics What is Tokenmaxxing, and why should businesses care about it?

"AI is changing the work of software engineering both more quickly and more fundamentally than these previous trends," Terkowitz noted. "What it means to be a software engineer, and what software engineering even is, is changing quickly and durably."

What this means for Amazon's workers is a focus on "on what is not changing
as we evolved the SDE (Software Development Engineers) roles". Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

This will mean a move away from "deeply flawed" metrics such as token usage
or adoption of AI tools, and more focus on the impact on customers,
businesses and teams.

The memo urges managers and division heads to make sure that there is "sufficient understanding" among their teams about the benefits AI tools can bring, and told workers to ensure they become "deeply connected" to their customers in order to gain a deeper knowledge of what they really need from Amazon.

"Despite the speed of change, we believe that it is still early. We all need to embrace this change and take the time to learn, or we risk being left behind," Terkowitz concluded.

Were just seeing the beginning of AIs effect on software engineering. While
we have a vision for what the future looks like, theres a lot thats still emerging. We are certain that whatever future best practices are, AI will be at the center of software engineering practice. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-warns-engineers-just-using-more-ai-doesnt -make-them-more-productive-says-they-should-avoid-tokenmaxxing


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)