AI coding assistants shine for boilerplate code, simple functions, documentation, debugging, and other routine tasks. Don’t push them too far.

Learning to code is about a lot more than just programming basics, OpenAI researcher Szymon Sidor said.

AI coding tools such as Amazon CodeWhisperer and GitHub Copilot boost the productivity of pro and novice developers alike. They’re only the beginning.

If coding becomes easier, he argues, we’ll just make more, better software. We’ll use it to solve problems that wouldn’t have been worth the hassle previously, and standards will skyrocket.

A.I. tools from Microsoft and other companies are helping write code, placing software engineers at the forefront of the technology’s potential to disrupt the work force.