AI-assisted programming is changing how developers work, with tools now moving from novelty to necessity. These tools collaborate with models that can scaffold applications, suggest functions, and write documentation, but success depends on how they're used and the environment around them. Benefits include faster task completion, reduced documentation time, and accelerated code refraction. However, there are also limitations and risks, such as code hallucinations and legal questions around training data and licensing. To make AI tools support developers in a meaningful way, strong integration into the development workflow, access to relevant context, privacy and security by design, and support for iteration and feedback are necessary. As developers learn to work with these tools, they'll be able to spend more time thinking about the right things and outperform those who ignore them.