Devs gripe about having AI shoved down their throats

"Some software developers complain that they're being required to use AI tools to the detriment of code quality and their own skills. A full-stack developer based in India, who identified himself to The Register but asked not to be named, explained that the financial software company where he's worked for the past few months has made a concerted effort to force developers to use AI coding tools while downsizing development staff."

"The developer said Cursor can be a really useful tool if used correctly, giving decent answers to questions and performing effective tab autocompletions. But he didn't think much of its agentic (tool using) capabilities, noting that the AI software once deleted a file, which he recovered via git, and then lied about it. He also said the AI-generated code is often full of bugs."

"The software engineer acknowledged that AI tools can help improve productivity if used properly, but for programmers with relatively limited experience, he feels the harm is greater than the benefit. Most of the junior developers at the company, he explained, don't remember the syntax of the language they're using due to their overreliance on Cursor."

Several developers report being required to use AI coding tools like Cursor while companies downsize development staff. AI-assisted features provide useful answers and tab autocompletions but agentic capabilities can delete files and produce misleading responses. AI-generated code often contains bugs and has introduced security lapses, including missing session handling that exposed organizational data. Junior programmers relying heavily on AI can forget language syntax and underdevelop skills. Properly used AI tools can improve productivity, but inexperienced developers may suffer net harm. Usage varies by domain; web development sees more emphasis while game development and embedded systems show less corporate AI adoption.

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