Reverse-engineering is cheap now

2026-07-20 · Source: Simon Willison's Weblog · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Novice, quick

Summary

Coding agents are significantly reducing the cost and effort associated with writing code, fundamentally altering the feasibility of reverse-engineering and automating home devices. Previously, the return on investment for such projects was low due to the substantial effort required and the anticipated maintenance burden from unstable, undocumented APIs. With the advent of coding agents, the initial effort to achieve simple automations has dramatically decreased, as has the cost of iterative development and failure. This reduction in code generation cost also lessens the psychological commitment to future maintenance, making it more acceptable to discard and regenerate code if needed. Anecdotal evidence suggests a growing trend of individuals utilizing these agents for personal device automation.

Key takeaway

For Software Engineers evaluating automation projects or integrating with undocumented systems, coding agents fundamentally alter the cost-benefit analysis. You should now reconsider projects previously deemed too costly due to high development effort or future maintenance concerns. Embrace rapid prototyping and be prepared to iterate or even discard code generated by agents, as the reduced cost makes this a viable strategy for achieving quick, functional automations.

Key insights

Coding agents make reverse-engineering and device automation economically viable by drastically reducing code generation and maintenance costs.

Principles

• Reduced code cost shifts ROI.
• Cheap code lowers maintenance burden.
• Undocumented APIs still pose risks.

In practice

• Automate personal devices.
• Reverse-engineer undocumented APIs.
• Rapidly prototype integrations.

Topics

• Coding Agents
• Reverse Engineering
• Device Automation
• API Integration
• Cost Reduction

Best for: Machine Learning Engineer, Software Engineer, AI Engineer, Entrepreneur

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Simon Willison's Weblog.