How Zyphra went all-in on AMD + Why Devs feel faster with AI but are slower — with Quentin Anthony

Feeling faster with AI and finishing work faster can diverge. The 2025 METR study discussed in this episode randomly allowed or disallowed AI assistance across 246 tasks performed by 16 experienced developers on familiar open-source projects. With AI allowed, completion took 19% longer on average, although participants afterward estimated that AI had made them 20% faster.

The interview adds a participant's account of submitting planned issues, estimating completion times and recording the work. The result concerns that study's tasks, developers and early-2025 tools. It shows why perceived usefulness alone cannot establish a productivity gain.