How to review AI-generated code when you are not a developer
You do not need to understand every line of code to know whether AI gave you something safe to use. Here is what to look for.
What this means
Non-developers often feel they have to trust AI completely because they cannot read code. But there are clear signals that tell you whether the output is safe to use — even if you cannot read a single line of it. The most important signal is whether the change is focused or sprawling.
What to do
After receiving code from AI, ask yourself three questions: Did it change more than I asked? Are there new imports or dependencies I did not request? Does the plain-language explanation make sense? If anything feels off, ask AI to explain what changed before you use it.
Try this prompt
You just gave me this code: [paste the code]. Please explain in plain language, as if speaking to a non-developer, exactly what this code does and what it changes in my app. Tell me if it adds any new dependencies or changes anything I did not ask about.