Devin: The Autonomous AI Engineer That Wasn't
Answer.AI conducted a month-long evaluation of Devin, a hyped AI tool promising fully autonomous software engineering capabilities. Initial tests showed promise, with Devin successfully handling simple tasks like migrating data from Notion to Google Sheets. However, as task complexity increased, Devin's shortcomings became apparent. It struggled with creating new projects, conducting research, and modifying existing code, often getting stuck in technical dead-ends or producing overly complex solutions. Out of 20 tasks, only 3 were successful, 14 failed, and 3 were inconclusive. The team concluded that Devin's autonomous nature proved to be a liability, ultimately hindering its effectiveness. Currently, developer-driven workflows supplemented by AI assistance offer a more reliable approach.