🚀 New METR RCT Study: AI Tools May Actually Slow Down Developers 🚀
A recent Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) conducted by METR revealed surprising findings about AI coding tools. While developers thought they were speeding up their work, the study found they were actually 19% slower when using Cursor with Sonnet 3.7.
Key Insights:
- Developers predicted a 24% boost in productivity but reported only a 20% speedup, ultimately experiencing a slowdown.
- The study included 16 experienced open-source developers working on high-stake repos, each with varied familiarity with AI.
- The slowdown may stem from:
- Deep knowledge of their projects negating AI’s benefits.
- Spending more time waiting on or reviewing AI outputs.
- Self-reports of productivity gains were found to be unreliable.
What This Means for the Future:
- Further studies are needed, especially with teams more experienced in AI tools.
- Developers should approach AI with realistic expectations to avoid confusion.
🔗 Let’s discuss! What’s your experience with AI coding tools? Share your thoughts below! 👇
