What the source reports
Sixteen experienced developers working on 246 issues took 19% longer with the studied tools, despite believing they had worked faster.
02 / OUR INTERPRETATIONWhat it means for an assessment
Count prompting, checking and correction time. Compare observed performance with the user’s expectations.
What needs caution
Mature repositories and early-2025 tools. It does not show that current AI slows most developers; read the 2026 follow-up too.
A question to bring to the client case
Would the tool fit the team’s existing codebase and expertise? A representative comparison should include understanding the task, directing the tool, reviewing changes and resolving errors. Staff confidence in being faster is useful feedback, but measured delivery time is a separate question.
The practical interpretation is Versta’s. The linked source provides the research evidence; suitability and expected value must be assessed for the customer’s own circumstances.