Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

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


Listen Later

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
        • Hit us up on Socials!

          Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads

          Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads

          Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads

          Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store

          Syntax - Tasty Web Development TreatsBy Wes Bos & Scott Tolinski - Full Stack JavaScript Web Developers

          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9

          4.9

          977 ratings


          More shows like Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

          View all
          Software Engineering Radio by se-radio@computer.org

          Software Engineering Radio

          271 Listeners

          Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman by Scott Hanselman

          Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman

          383 Listeners

          The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source by Changelog Media

          The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

          289 Listeners

          Software Engineering Daily by Software Engineering Daily

          Software Engineering Daily

          625 Listeners

          Talk Python To Me by Michael Kennedy

          Talk Python To Me

          585 Listeners

          Soft Skills Engineering by Jamison Dance and Dave Smith

          Soft Skills Engineering

          289 Listeners

          Thoughtworks Technology Podcast by Thoughtworks

          Thoughtworks Technology Podcast

          43 Listeners

          Python Bytes by Michael Kennedy and Brian Okken

          Python Bytes

          214 Listeners

          The freeCodeCamp Podcast by freeCodeCamp.org

          The freeCodeCamp Podcast

          488 Listeners

          CoRecursive: Coding Stories by Adam Gordon Bell - Software Developer

          CoRecursive: Coding Stories

          190 Listeners

          Practical AI by Practical AI LLC

          Practical AI

          211 Listeners

          The Stack Overflow Podcast by The Stack Overflow Podcast

          The Stack Overflow Podcast

          63 Listeners

          The Real Python Podcast by Real Python

          The Real Python Podcast

          142 Listeners

          PodRocket by LogRocket

          PodRocket

          60 Listeners

          Oxide and Friends by Oxide Computer Company

          Oxide and Friends

          62 Listeners