Experienced software developers assumed AI would save them a chunk of time. But in one experiment, their tasks took 20% longer

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A study from METR found that experienced software developers took longer to finish tasks when they used AI tools than when they worked without them. The researchers tested 16 developers across 246 tasks and found that AI increased completion time by about 19%, even though participants expected a productivity boost. The study suggests that context switching, prompt writing, and code cleanup can offset or outweigh AI gains for skilled workers. It also adds caution to broader claims that AI will automatically improve workplace efficiency.

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