A recent study by the nonprofit AI research group METR found that artificial intelligence tools may actually hinder experienced open-source developers, contradicting expectations of increased productivity. Instead of speeding up work by about 24%, developers took 19% longer when using AI assistance. The study highlighted that traditional coding benchmarks often sacrifice realism, leading to an overestimation of AI capabilities. Because these benchmarks lack human oversight, AI tools frequently stumble on minor issues that skilled developers could easily resolve. This research indicates a significant disconnect between perceived and actual AI impacts on developer efficiency. Despite the rapid advancement in AI technologies, including “vibe coders,” the findings suggest that current tools may introduce errors and security vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for ongoing research into AI’s role in software development. The results challenge the expectation that AI will invariably enhance productivity among highly skilled engineers.
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