Why Developers Skip AI Coding Tools?

By Raulin Cadet | Published Nov. 2, 2026 | Updated Oct. 29, 2026 | Topics: Technology, Tech job, Software developer, AI

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool."

— Richard Feynman

In today’s post, I continue questioning AI tools. I want to know why some developers have not adopted a dedicated AI coding assistant or agent, such as GitHub Copilot or Cursor, even though many of them already use general AI chatbots. Are they rejecting these tools, or have they simply not tried them yet? I use data from JetBrains’ 2025 Developer Ecosystem survey to find out.

The graphic reveals that the single most common reason has nothing to do with resistance to the technology at all. Most of them say they plan to try these tools in the future. The answers of the developers reveal that practical concerns come next: data privacy and security, a limited understanding of complex code, and the quality of generated output. Some developers are not using these tools yet because of distrust in their capabilities, ethical concerns, intellectual property concerns, or simply not needing them. These reasons come behind the practical ones cited by survey respondents. 

Only about one developer in eight cites ethical concerns as a reason to stay away from these tools. Does this mean the ethical questions around AI coding assistants are already settled?