Experienced devs are 19% slower with AI tools. They just don't believe it.

May 24, 2026 · 1:16 PM UTC ·4 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 27 views

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

A recent study found that experienced developers are 19% slower when using AI coding tools, despite believing they are more productive. This discrepancy highlights a concerning trend where developers rely on feelings rather than measurable outcomes to assess productivity. The issue is compounded by senior developers' tendency to modify AI suggestions extensively, leading to increased time spent on tasks.

Key facts

▪Experienced developers reported a 19% slowdown when using AI coding tools compared to traditional methods.
▪Despite the slowdown, developers felt more productive, indicating a disconnect between perception and reality.
▪Senior developers often spend additional time modifying AI-generated code, which contributes to the overall slowdown.

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Original publisher	DEV.to (Top)
Canonical URL	https://dev.to/adioof/experienced-devs-are-19-slower-with-ai-tools-they-just-dont-believe-it-2afg
Publication time	Sun, 24 May 2026 13:16:32 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-24T13:37:32.733Z
Last seen	2026-05-24T13:37:32.733Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

try { if(localStorage) { let currentUser = localStorage.getItem('current_user'); if (currentUser) { currentUser = JSON.parse(currentUser); if (currentUser.id === 2760047) { document.getElementById('article-show-container').classList.add('current-user-is-article-author'); } } } } catch (e) { console.error(e); } Aditya Agarwal Posted on May 24 Experienced devs are 19% slower with AI tools. They just don't believe it. #ai #productivity #codingtools #discuss Senior developers are 19% slower when using AI coding tools. But they think they're faster. That gap should terrify you. A recent study measured experienced developers using AI-assisted coding tools on real tasks. The result? A measurable 19% slowdown compared to working without AI. The kicker is what happened next.

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