AI coding may not be helping as much as you think
10 months ago
- #AI coding
- #productivity
- #software development
- A new study from METR found that AI coding tools slowed down task completion time by 19% for experienced developers.
- Developers initially expected AI tools to speed up their work by 24%, but post-study estimates were reduced to 20%.
- The study focused on experienced developers working on large, complex codebases they helped build.
- Caveats include the possibility of greater productivity benefits for less experienced developers or smaller projects.
- The disconnect between perceived and actual productivity gains calls for reevaluation of AI tool efficacy.
- Personal experience highlights AI's role in enabling non-experts to complete complex coding projects with guidance.
- Potential biases include overestimating personal time savings and shallow testing of code quality.
- The study underscores the need for measured assessments of AI's impact on coding productivity.