Coders are refusing to work without AI — and that could come back to bite them

Developers are increasingly unwilling to work without AI coding tools, even as new research questions whether those tools really boost productivity.

A 2025 study found AI coding assistants could slow developers down because humans still had to review, correct, and maintain the output.

METR later said it could not rerun the test because developers refused to participate without AI tools.

A follow-up survey and company reports suggest workers feel more productive with AI, but spending spikes, usage gaming, and code-quality studies point to hidden costs and more bugs.