AI coding assistant
an AI tool that reads, runs and changes code on a developer's behalf
An AI coding assistant, also called a coding agent, is an AI assistant that works inside a codebase. It reads files, runs commands and tests, and edits code to finish a task the developer describes. Each step is a request to an AI model, so one task can mean many requests. Well-known examples include Claude Code and Codex.
Think of it as
A junior developer who works through a ticket on their own, checking in only with the finished change.
Ideas that use this term