I'll be honest, I was totally wrong about AI coding assistance. For the longest time, I was that guy who would say, "Real developers don't need AI to help them." When GitHub Copilot came out, I dismissed it as just a fancy tool that might make junior developers lazy.

Then, in early 2023, I stumbled across Cursor. I was curious, so I gave it a try. It was... okay, nothing groundbreaking. I used it for a week and then went back to my usual coding routine. I thought,

"Nice try, AI, but you can't beat good old coding skills."

I could see the potential in AI for handling some of the more boring parts of coding. So, I created a few custom AI tools on ChatGPT to take care of the stuff I didn’t enjoy like turning a massive JSON file into clean TypeScript interfaces or generating a basic webpage structure from a design without pulling my hair out.

Sure, these tools were helpful, but using them was a hassle. Imagine this: you're deep into coding, and then you have to stop, switch to your browser, paste your code into ChatGPT, wait for it to process, copy the output, and then switch back to your coding environment. It felt like running through mud.

Fast forward to 2024. I was on a call with a friend who kept talking about Cursor (again), telling me how much it had improved. He said, "Bro, it's not the same tool you tried last year. Just give it another go." To make him happy, I decided to give it a shot, thinking I'd try it out for a day.

Man, was I wrong.

I don't know what magic they worked on Cursor in that year, but this was a whole new experience. It wasn’t just about code completion anymore, it was like having a technical lead as a partner right there with me, giving me ideas that actually made sense.

I also noticed how much better Cursor had become at understanding complex code structures. I threw some challenging code its way, expecting it to struggle like before, but it handled everything with ease. It could break down the code, optimize it, and even predict my next steps before I fully knew what I needed. The suggestions it offered were not only accurate but often inspired new ideas that I hadn’t considered.

Honestly, it kind of scared me how good it was. But at the same time, it made software development exciting again. Suddenly, I was tackling those big, intimidating problems I had been avoiding because now I had this super-smart assistant to knock off blockers.

The tipping point for me was realizing I had been paying $20/month for ChatGPT, mostly for coding related stuff. Cursor cost the same and everything I needed was now within my coding environment. No more flipping between tools, no more copying and pasting, just seamless integration. It was as if Cursor had anticipated all the little frustrations I had been dealing with and smoothed them out.. I made the switch, and I haven't looked back since.

So, if you’ve been reluctant to try out the these tools, I encourage you give them a shot. You might find that the thing you need to elevate your work is already out there, just waiting to be discovered or rediscovered.

Look, I’m not saying AI will replace good developers. But tools like these are more like superpowers. They handle the boring work so we can focus on the really interesting problems.

So, if you’re still on the fence about AI-assisted coding like I was, give it another shot. Things are changing so fast that what you tried a year ago might be totally different now. Keep an open mind, and you might find yourself wondering how you ever coded without it.