Chat is a bad UI pattern for development tools

I think everyone is aware that chat is not the ideal UI pattern for this. It's just the way current AI models work and generate content - that's why they have this "typewriter" mode, which naturally leads to a chat interface.

It's not really a conscious choice, but rather a side effect. And we already see the trend is away from that, with tools like chatGPT Canvas, editors like Windsurf, etc.

When the only tool your AI can wield is a hammer, everything had better look like a nail.

Once the models become fast enough to feel instantaneous, we'll probably begin to see more seamless interfaces. Who wants a pair programmer who goes "umm... ahh..." every time you type something? A proper coding assistant should integrate with your muscle memory just like autocomplete. Tab, tab, tab and it's done.