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12.5The Economics of Write vs Generate
| Factor | Write from Scratch | Generate + Curate |
|---|---|---|
| Time for 50 tests | 4-6 hours | 30-45 minutes |
| Initial quality | Higher (80-90%) | Lower (65-75%) |
| Post-curation quality | Same | Same (after 30 min review) |
| Coverage breadth | Lower (human blind spots) | Higher (systematic) |
| Maintenance cost | Lower (tighter code) | Slightly higher (AI verbosity) |
| Consistency | Varies by author | High (same prompt = same style) |
| Morale | Lower (tedious for CRUD) | Higher (humans focus on interesting cases) |