Humans can work with these cases better though because they have access to better memory. Next time you see "iteration_count", you'll know that it actually has a sum, while a new AI session will have to re-discover it from scratch. I think this will only get better as time goes on, though.

You are underestimating how lazy humans can be. Humans are going to skim code, scroll down into the middle of some function and assume iteration count means iteration count. AI on the other hand will have the full definition of the function in its context every time.

Or you immediately rename it to avoid the need to remember? :)