Everyone thinks AI dev agents are an instant productivity boost. METR study found they actually slow down experienced developers by 19%. Here's why 👇

First, the hype is def real: adoption is exploding. - 51% of companies already use coding agents in production - 78% have active implementation plans - VCs have poured over $15 billion into agentic AI startups The momentum is undeniable, but it's hiding the complexity.

The biggest immediate danger is the security gap. - only 44% of orgs have security policies for coding agents - 80% of companies report their agents have already taken unintended actions (dangerously skipped permissions)

This lack of governance opens the door to new, severe threats. The top risks are not just data leaks, but systemic manipulation:

- Memory poisoning: Corrupting an agent’s memory to alter its behavior - Tool misuse: Tricking an agent into abusing connected APIs - Cascading hallucinations: One bad fact spreading across a multi-agent system

Despite the risks, the ROI is massive when deployed correctly. Forget general coding assistants for a moment. Look at targeted use cases: - 80% cost reduction in loan processing - 90% faster customer support responses - 30% increase in overall ROI for personalized marketing

AI agents hold world-changing potential, but a "move fast and break things" approach will lead to disaster. The future belongs to those who adopt a strategic, security-first mindset. Measure impact, not hype.