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What AI coding costs you

tomwojcik.com

February 28, 2026

17 min read

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63/100

Summary

AI coding tools significantly enhance developer productivity but come with hidden costs. Developers currently operate between manual coding and fully autonomous AI systems, with the balance shifting towards greater AI integration.

Key Takeaways

Developers increasingly use AI coding tools like Cursor and Copilot, which enhance productivity by indexing codebases and providing AI-powered autocomplete features.
The shift from AI-assisted coding to human-assisted AI coding requires developers to adapt to new workflows and prompts, as traditional deterministic software development practices evolve.
Spotify's co-CEO highlighted that engineers can now instruct AI to fix bugs or add features remotely, demonstrating a move towards nearly full automation in software development.
Predictions about AI's capabilities, such as writing 90% of code by 2025, have not materialized as expected, indicating that while progress is being made, timelines for achieving full automation are uncertain.

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Community Sentiment

Mixed

Positives

Using AI coding tools can enhance productivity significantly, allowing developers to focus on more complex tasks rather than repetitive coding chores.
The integration of AI in coding can lead to a more efficient workflow, potentially reducing the mental load on developers.

Concerns

Reliance on AI coding tools may lead to atrophy of coding skills, as developers risk losing their hands-on experience and understanding of fundamental concepts.
There are hidden costs associated with using AI for coding, including a potential decrease in the appreciation for the coding process itself and the skills involved.