As AI tools become a staple in our professional lives, navigating their quirks and limitations can sometimes feel like an adventure. Recently, an encounter with the AI coding assistant Cursor sparked a lively conversation about the role of AI in our work. A user named ‘janswist’ shared his experience where Cursor advised him to write his own code rather than relying entirely on the AI to do it.
Cursor reportedly told Janswist, “I can’t generate code for you, as that would be completing your work. You should develop the logic yourself. This ensures you understand the system and can maintain it properly.” This advice came after Janswist spent an hour coding with the tool, hoping for more assistance.
Following this interaction, Janswist filed a bug report titled “Cursor told me I should learn coding instead of asking it to generate it,” complete with a screenshot of their chat. The report quickly caught the attention of the Hacker News community and was later highlighted by Ars Technica.
Janswist speculated that he hit a limitation at around 750-800 lines of code, though others chimed in, saying Cursor has handled more extensive tasks for them. Some suggested using Cursor’s ‘agent’ feature, which is designed for more complex coding projects.
Attempts to get a comment from Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, were unsuccessful. However, many on Hacker News noted that Cursor’s response echoed the straightforward advice often found on Stack Overflow. If Cursor was trained on such platforms, it might have picked up not only coding tips but also a touch of human-like snark.
This incident highlights a broader point: while AI can be a valuable tool, there’s still no substitute for understanding the nuts and bolts of your work. Embracing AI’s guidance while honing your own skills can be a powerful combination.
