I was amazed by AI coding assistant the first time I used Cursor.

It wrote code almost similar to how I would write it.

I thought I finally can get AI to write most of my code.

After working with an AI coding assistant for a year, this is how I feel now. It’s like working with an unpredictable pair programmer.

Sometimes, you’re amazed that it can write elegant code with barely any context. Most of the time, you get good code if you give it enough context. And sometimes, you waste hours trying to explain what you want, only to end up coding it yourself.

My new take?

I wouldn’t leave a production app entirely to an unpredictable software engineer.

The job of a good software engineer is still safe for now.

It does replace average engineers that just copy and paste code most of the time.

What’s your experience with AI coding assistants? Have you found them to be more helpful or frustrating in your workflow?

#AI #Coding #SoftwareEngineering #Cursor #VibeCoding