Tooling ≠ Glue: Why changing AI workflows still feels like duct tape

Despite AI development tool advances, swapping components in AI workflows remains difficult. What should be modular systems are brittle patchworks where changing one element often breaks everything. This occurs due to leaky abstractions, lack of standards, and inconsistent interfaces between tools. Solutions include formal interface contracts, declarative pipelines, and defensive design. Without industry-wide standards and interoperability, AI systems will continue feeling duct-taped rather than truly composable.