ai-debt-detector
Use after generating code, after accepting AI suggestions, or when reviewing AI-written modules. Also use when code works but feels brittle, when error handling seems thin, when orphaned resources or missing cleanup are suspected, or when the agent claims done but hidden debt may exist. Catches the specific failure patterns AI agents produce that humans would not.
Profile →npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill ai-debt-detector --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# AI Debt Detector ## Overview AI agents generate code that passes the happy path but hides debt: missing error handling, orphaned resources, ignored failure modes, hallucinated packages, silent architectural drift. This skill forces a targeted audit for the exact patterns AI agents get wrong. ## When to Use - After any AI code generation session (20+ lines produced) - Before merging AI-generated PRs - When code works but something feels off - After vibe-coding sprints where debt accumulates fastest - When the agent claims done without showing verification ## Process After code generation, scan for these AI-specific debt patterns: 1. **FAILURE MODES** - What happens when this fails? - Network timeout? Disk full? Permission denied? Null input? - Is there a try/catch? Does it catch SPECIFIC errors or swallow everything? - Are resources cleaned up on failure? (streams closed, connections returned, temp files deleted) 2. **ORPHANS** - What gets created but never cleaned up? - Temp files, event listeners, intervals, subscriptions, connections - Are there corresponding cleanup/dispose/close calls for every open/create? - In React: does every addEventListener have a removeEventListener in
- Overview
- When to Use
- Process
- Red Flags (stop and fix immediately)
- Common Mistakes
- Why This Exists
What does the ai-debt-detector skill do?
Use after generating code, after accepting AI suggestions, or when reviewing AI-written modules. Also use when code works but feels brittle, when error handling seems thin, when orphaned resources or missing cleanup are suspected, or when the agent claims done but hidden debt may exist. Catches the specific failure patterns AI agents produce that humans would not.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill ai-debt-detector --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From wshobson/agents, a repository with 38,479 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.