Is Spec-Driven Development Already Dead

The Security Table

The Security Table
Is Spec-Driven Development Already Dead
Jul 15, 2026 Season 4 Episode 15
Izar Tarandach, Matt Coles, and Chris Romeo

In this episode, we take on spec-driven development, the resurgent idea that writing a detailed spec and letting AI implement it will finally give us the precision engineering promised us since the 1950s. We push back on the notion that this fixes what actually sank spec-driven approaches decades ago: specs were never the problem; following them was. Along the way, we debate whether AI-generated code is any more correct than what a room of human developers would produce, dig into the "Phoenix" analogy of regenerating disposable code from spec instead of patching it, and raise the uncomfortable question of what happens when an integration quietly regenerates itself around a security flaw baked into the system it connects to. 

🚀 Join the Conversation
 If the AI can regenerate your code from spec whenever a bug shows up, who's actually responsible when it regenerates the same vulnerability?

FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

âžśTwitter: @SecTablePodcast
âžśLinkedIn: The Security Table Podcast
âžśYouTube: The Security Table YouTube Channel

Thanks for Listening!

Episode Artwork Is Spec-Driven Development Already Dead 41:49 Episode Artwork Don't Bury the Model T: Why STRIDE Still Drives in an AI World 59:03 Episode Artwork Mostly Dead or Mostly Back: The Zombie Resurrection of DAST in an AI World 42:17 Episode Artwork Realists At The Table: How To See Through The Hype 37:32 Episode Artwork The Agentic Access Problem: When AI Becomes Its Own Administrator 40:07 Episode Artwork The Tool Creep Problem: When More Security Means Less Security 42:11 Episode Artwork The Human In The Loop Illusion: Why AI Approvals Are Failing Security 47:46 Episode Artwork The Mythos Problem: When AI Finds Every Vulnerability 47:18 Episode Artwork What If AI Never Happened? The AppSec Reality Check 47:08 Episode Artwork The Evolution Problem: After 100 Episodes, What’s Changed… and What Hasn’t? 49:40 Episode Artwork The Agent Access Problem: When AI Has the Keys, Who’s Really in Control? 48:22 Episode Artwork The Invisible Code Problem: When You Can’t See the Attack, Can You Stop It? 36:34 Episode Artwork The Moltbook Dilemma: What Happens When AI Agents Start Networking 41:05 Episode Artwork The Walking Dead of Security: When AI Resurrects the Build vs. Buy Debate 40:22 Episode Artwork Crystal Penguins and AI Chaos: What Could Go Wrong in 2026? 40:02 Episode Artwork The Cost of Knowing: How Cybersecurity Professionals View Innovation Differently 30:33 Episode Artwork The Roller Coaster of Risk: A Threat Modeler's Perspective 45:34 Episode Artwork Can AI Replace Security Teams? The Software Quality Debate 36:39 Episode Artwork The Debate: Is the CIA Triad Truly Dead? 29:45 Episode Artwork Don’t Forget the Beauty of Simplicity: Exploring Shifts in Software Development 33:43 Episode Artwork More Cowbell: Security and Speed in Agile 48:37 Episode Artwork Privateering the Cyber Seas: New Legislation on Cybercrime 35:35 Episode Artwork Making Privacy Less Cringey 28:14 Episode Artwork Decoding Mastro: AI Threat Modeling 49:06 Episode Artwork Vibe Startups, AI Problems, and Matt’s Precious Computer 42:18