AI Writes 95% of Coinbase's Code

Coinbase, the cryptocurrency exchange, has reported that artificial intelligence is now responsible for generating over 95% of its programming code, a significant increase from an estimated 40% in February. Rob Vitoff, the platform’s head, highlighted this development in a statement to Cointelegraph.

AI is employed daily by all employees at Coinbase, with varying levels of automation based on task complexity:

• Prototyping: fully automated;
• Core systems: a hybrid approach;
• Cryptography: manual work, where developers meticulously review each line of code, supported by AI in identifying vulnerabilities and validating mathematical computations.

This shift towards AI has led to significant organizational changes, including the recent layoff of 700 employees, or 14% of its workforce, as CEO Brian Armstrong indicated was necessary to streamline operations and regain the agility of a startup.

As a result of these technological advancements, small teams of 2-3 senior specialists now manage tasks that previously required larger groups. The layoffs impacted mainly junior developers and staff in marketing, support, and compliance roles.

Currently, each engineer at Coinbase is aided by 5 to 10 active AI agents, collectively handling tasks equivalent to the output of 1,200 employees. Looking ahead, the company expects this number to rise dramatically to 100,000 virtual workers by 2030.