Does AI Secretly Slow Developers Down?

Are AI coding tools actually making developers less productive? A new study from Meta’s AI research nonprofit, METR, claims that developers using AI were 19% slower, even though they believed they were 20% faster. In this episode of the AI Daily Brief, we break down the study’s design, explore criticisms from Emmett Shear and other AI leaders, and explain why this experiment may not reflect real-world AI coding performance. From model limitations to the steep learning curve of tools like Cursor, we explore how AI-assisted development isn’t just about faster typing, but rather a new way of working that requires time, practice, and workflow adjustments.
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A daily news analysis show on all things artificial intelligence. NLW looks at AI from multiple angles, from the explosion of creativity brought on by new tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT to the potential disruptions to work and industries as we know them to the great philosophical, ethical and practical questions of advanced general intelligence, alignment and x-risk.

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