My AI coding agent wrote perfect TypeScript today. Then I woke up.

That’s the thing about dreams – they’re full of promise, just like the AI tools we’re pouring our money into. $25 for the first month. Then $10.50. Again. And again. And again.

Let me paint you a picture. I’m building a CMS, the kind I’ve built dozens of times before. The AI confidently suggests code, and sometimes – when I ask the right questions – it actually speeds things up. It’s particularly good at the tedious stuff: scaffolding CRUD operations, suggesting API endpoints, writing basic form validation.

But then it pulls lowercase_underscored_data from the database while ignoring TypeScript’s benefits, and I have to step in. Again. And again.

Here’s the truth about today’s coding AI: It’s like having an eager junior developer who never sleeps and has memorized all of Stack Overflow. Sometimes they write clean, useful code that saves you time. Other times, they write code that makes you question their understanding of basic programming concepts.

Want to prototype quickly? These agents shine. Need help documenting your code? They’re surprisingly good at that. Looking for alternative approaches to a problem? They’ll show you five different ways to solve it.

But don’t expect them to architect your full-stack application or understand your business logic. That’s still uniquely human territory.

The real magic happens when you understand their sweet spot: use them for the mundane, the repetitive, the well-documented patterns. Keep them away from your architecture decisions and complex business logic.

We’re probably 12 months away from these tools being truly transformative. But right now, they’re useful learning tools and occasional productivity boosters – if you know their limitations.

Think of it like pair programming with someone who has perfect recall but imperfect understanding. Used wisely, that can still be valuable.

The future of coding will be AI-assisted, but today’s reality requires a balanced approach: leverage their strengths, respect their limitations, and keep your expert judgment in the driver’s seat.

Just don’t expect them to write perfect TypeScript. At least, not until tomorrow’s dream.