As AI agentic coding tools have improved, more and more professional developers are reporting that they feel happier when agents (Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) complete their tasks successfully and save them time. When the AI-generated solutions are correct and usable, developers enjoy working with agents more than without. Many say that agents have made coding fun again, because they can finally resume work they previously lacked the energy or time to do, and they are experiencing less stress. Software developers and data analysts with over a decade of experience are increasingly saying they will never go back to coding by hand, because "that ship has sailed". Some developers even claim their productivity has increased ten-fold. But how exactly do professional software developers use and control AI agents? This question was the focus of research presented in the paper "Professional Software Developers Don't Vibe, They Control: AI Agent Use for Coding".
Alexander Kom
•
4
min read