944: Is Coinbase Really Writing Half Their Code With AI?

Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Wes and Scott talk with Kyle Cesmat about how Coinbase is writing nearly half its code with AI—while keeping quality and security front and center. They dig into tools like Cursor and Claude Code, agent-driven workflows, code review challenges, and how AI is reshaping developer productivity without replacing developers.

Show Notes

• 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
• 03:29 Defining and measuring “quality” at a large company
• 05:05 How AI-generated code is reviewed and shipped at Coinbase
• 07:35 A developer’s workflow using AI—from ticket to production
• 10:30 Standard vs. team-specific tools for AI development
• 12:55 Using MCP servers to power internal AI workflows
• 14:42 MCP vs. custom agent integrations
• 17:16 What kinds of code AI is writing at Coinbase
• 19:48 Which languages and tasks does AI handle best?
• 21:21 Getting AI to follow existing code conventions
  • greptile
• 24:36 Brought to you by Sentry.io
• 25:01 How AI affects hiring, velocity, and developer focus
• 28:16 AI’s role in speeding up code reviews
• 31:28 The most valuable AI tool in Coinbase’s stack
• 33:48 Managing AI costs and model choices
• 35:10 Security considerations for using external AI models
• 37:04 How often Coinbase tunes and adjusts its AI systems
• 39:26 Using AI to write code vs. embedding AI in customer-facing features
• 42:29 Kyle’s big-picture take on AI as a tool—not a magic bullet
  • Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity
• 44:33 The future of hiring engineers with their own “backpack” of agents
• 45:53 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

• Kyle: UltraShelf

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