Why tech is racing to adopt AI coding

In this episode of Decoder, Casey Newton interviews Michael Truell, the CEO of Anysphere, about Cursor AI, an automated programming platform that integrates with generative AI models to help write code. Truell discusses the origins of Cursor, its functionality as a "souped-up word processor" for engineers, and its evolution towards automating more programming tasks. He differentiates Cursor from other AI coding tools by emphasizing its UI control and proprietary models trained on product data. The conversation explores the impact of AI on programmer productivity, the phenomenon of "vibe coding" for amateur programmers, and the future of AI in software development, including the potential for AI to handle a significant portion of a programmer's job. Truell also touches on Anysphere's culture, hiring strategies, and the challenges of pricing AI-driven services.