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

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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