The role React plays
React commonly controls component interfaces, state, effects, routing, and client rendering. Its surrounding reliability depends on effect loops, stale state, duplicated components, key errors, and server/client boundaries, so the visible error may originate outside the file the AI last changed.
Specific failure patterns to inspect
For Broken After an AI Refactor, common causes include removed implicit dependency, changed state ownership, partial rename, untested interface contract. Generated implementations also tend to omit defensive error handling, version checks, idempotency, or a safe difference between public configuration and private credentials.
A safer diagnostic sequence
Preserve the current branch and exact error. Then preserve the failing diff; list behavior that changed; run the last known-good version. Follow one test request across the interface, server or provider, and durable data rather than making several speculative code changes.
Repair boundaries
The repair should change the narrowest contract that is actually broken. Broader refactoring is justified only when duplicated ownership or an unsafe architecture would otherwise let the failure return.
What to avoid
Do not ask for another broad refactor or delete tests that now fail. Do not upgrade the entire React stack during a contained incident unless version incompatibility is the proven cause.
What a complete handoff includes
The handoff identifies the root cause, affected code or settings, safe test case, deployment note, and any remaining follow-up. The repaired behavior should be protected by a repeatable check.