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

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