[debatem1]

I'm encouraging my folks to try it pretty hard because A) I've personally seen the productivity gains and B) using it is at first deeply weird/uncomfortable. Sometimes you've got to convince people to push through that kind of thing.

[toomuchtodo]

How you objectively measuring success?

93% of Developers Use AI Coding Tools. Productivity Hasn't Moved. - https://philippdubach.com/posts/93-of-developers-use-ai-codi... - March 4th, 2026

[nightski]

They measured 16 developers and called it a "study"? That is amusing. Not to mention it was conducted almost a year ago, the tools have already changed dramatically.

[sarchertech]

Depending on the effect size a sample size of 16 can be plenty.

[archagon]

> Not to mention it was conducted almost a year ago, the tools have already changed dramatically.

There is no point at which this argument will not be made. Therefore, it is a useless argument.

[tehjoker]

So just run a new study this year. I do think the tools have improved, but it should show up empirically. The only people for whom the urgency of "right now" is present is for the C-suite and investor class who are fighting to make sure they survive, but it might also be a crisis of their own making. Don't confuse your identity as a worker with the identity of the capitalist class.

[jmalicki]

You should be able to just develop software on your cellphone, right?

Do you have an empirical study to support that your employer should buy you a laptop and possibly a monitor or two to help your productivity?

If there's no study, why should we believe it?

It's like "A study found that parachutes were no more effective than empty backpacks at protecting jumpers from aircraft."

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/12/22/6790830...

[SpicyLemonZest]

I think my employer should buy me a laptop and possibly a monitor or two to help my productivity because I subjectively feel they'd be helpful, and I have the market power to insist on tools that I subjectively feel are helpful. If my CEO announced that monitors are super important and everyone will be tracked on monitor space usage going forwards, I would still want to see evidence that this is going to accomplish something.

[jmalicki]

Your CEO likewise subjectively feels all of their employees using AI will be helpful, and has the market power to insist that their employees use them.

When engineers demand evidence that AI is productive, but not that having laptops and monitors are productive, it screams confirmation bias. "I'm right, you're wrong" as a default prior.

[roarcher]

> It's like "A study found that parachutes were no more effective than empty backpacks at protecting jumpers from aircraft."

Are you under the impression that we don't bother to empirically prove things that seem obvious, like the safety benefits of parachutes? You don't think parachute manufacturers test their designs and quantify their performance?

[jmalicki]

There are no randomized controlled trials that parachutes save lives.

This is repeatedly used as an example in the medical community about the limits of randomized controlled trials. This isn't some impression - your impression that such evidence exists is wrong.

There might be some parachute company tests about effective of velocity, etc., but there are no human trials.

Why? Because that would be unethical.

[Copernicron]

> Oh, there's one important detail here. The drop in the study was about 2 feet total, because the biplane and helicopter were parked.

I don't think that's making the argument you think it is.

[jmalicki]

That is exactly why I posted it.

[notlenin]

> Not to mention it was conducted almost a year ago

false. The article is from 4th of March 2026, less than a month ago.

[mkl]

From the first sentence of the article proper: "A study published in July 2025".