AI Is Moving up the Software Lifecycle: From Code Review to PRD Governance

Technology companies including Uber, DoorDash, and Cloudflare are integrating AI into the early stages of software development, moving beyond simple code generation. These systems now assist in validating product requirement documents and design inputs to enforce engineering standards before code is even written. This shift signals a transition toward automated governance, where AI acts as a quality control layer to ensure consistent documentation and architectural alignment throughout the entire software lifecycle.