5 Cognitive Distortions When Touching Legacy Code

Developers often face cognitive distortions when modifying legacy code, such as fearing breakage or believing rewrites are the only solution. Recent reports show 82% of organizations carry security debt, prompting interest in AI‑driven fixes. AI can reliably patch pattern‑based flaws like unsafe SQL queries, but human validation remains essential. AWS Continuum, launched in October 2026, validates vulnerabilities, ranks them by business impact, and proposes fixes that require human approval, blending AI assistance with controlled risk management.