Survey: a third of senior developers say over half their code is AI-generated

Really?

I'm not a coder but a sysadmin. 35 years or so. I'm conversant with Perl, Python, (nods to C), BASIC, shell, Powershell, AutoIT (int al)

I muck about with CAD - OpenSCAD, FreeCAD, and 3D printing.

I'm not a senior developer - I pay them.

LLMs are handy in the same way I still have my slide rules and calculators (OK kids I use a calc app) but I do still have my slide rules.

ChatGPT does quite well with the basics for a simple OpenSCAD effort but invents functions within libraries. That is to be expected - its a next token decider function and not a real AI.

I find it handy for basics, very basic.

I just got back into OpenSCAD after recently getting my first new 3D Printer in 10 years, so I basically had to relearn it. ChatGPT got the syntax wrong for the most basic of operations.

Chat did work for some operations for me but not many.

My screwdrivers, drills, planes, and all the rest don't tell me how to use them and I think that you need to treat LLMs in the same way.

They can provide an insight or a prod or whatever that gets you over the line but I do not think that they are ... AI of any sort.

I can cut say 12mm of plywood with a panel saw within an accuracy of about 1mm if I am careless. If I take more care, I can do way better. Depends on the job. However, I have to keep my eye in.

Chat will get the basics right but will hallucinate badly when it comes to libraries like https://github.com/BelfrySCAD/BOSL2/wiki

Just like a slightly blunt chisel, you have to treat Chat and co in the same way - they are tools. No more and no less. You need to know how to sharpen them up (oil and a whetstone).