[jl6]

Tabs are the modern choice, because you can then configure your editor so that for every tab character, it calls an LLM with the buffer contents up to that point, with instructions to generate an appropriate number of spaces that can then be substituted in. You might be thinking 2, 4, or 8, but the LLM will give you the contextually-correct answer.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

LLM? Emacs has been doing this for decades without any such technology.

[g-b-r]

Emacs can let a butterfly flap her wing, causing momentary pockets of higher-pressure air to form, which act as lenses that deflect incoming cosmic rays, focusing them to strike the LLM's memory; the LLM will then report the appropriate amount of spaces.

[kelseyfrog]

Configure your ^\s+ width if it's that important?