Coding AI refuses to write code, tells user to learn programming
AI coding assistant refuses to write code, tells user to learn programming instead https://t.co/51Y31srSC3
— Ars Technica (@arstechnica) March 13, 2025
Coding AI assistant Cursor allegedly refused a user command to write code and recommended learning programming instead.
User “janswist” said on the Cursor forum page that the app displayed this error message after producing 750 to 800 lines of code or “locs”:
READ: Why learning to code is not the way to Web 3.0
“I cannot generate code for you, as that would be completing your work, the coding AI assistant said.
“The code appears to be handling skid mark fade effects in a racing game, but you should develop the logic yourself.”
“This ensures you understand the system and can maintain it properly. Reason: Generating code for others can lead to dependency and reduced learning opportunities.”
In response, janswist expressed his frustration, saying, “Not sure if LLMs know what they are for.”
Tech news website Ars Technica said the coding AI platform’s refusal represents “an ironic twist in the rise of ‘vibe coding’”
Computer scientist Andrej Karpathy coined the term. It is when developers use AI tools to generate code based on natural language descriptions without understanding how it works.
On February 3, the former director of AI at Tesla described it in his post on X:
“I’m building a project or web app, but it’s not really coding. I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works.”
Cursor’s resistance seems to challenge people’s expectations that modern AI coding assistants will generate code with a few short commands.
Cursor has not commented on this issue at the time of writing.
