Your last sentence was me earlier this year ... seeing headlines about productivity, etc. and then trying out the tools and not finding that.
I have however found it to be very helpful, completely replacing usage of StackOverflow for instance. Instead of googling for your problem, ask AI and provide very specific information like version numbers of libraries, etc. and it usually comes back with something helpful.
All those headlines and nonsense, like most content online these days it looks like marketing content, not journalism. AI tools are helpful and in some ways feel like an evolution of search engine technology from ~25 years ago. Treat its output like a junior developer or intern. It does require some effort, like coaching a junior dev or intern. You can also ask it stupid questions, things like tech you haven't worked on in a while but you "should know". Its helpful to get back up to speed on things like that.
I have however found it to be very helpful, completely replacing usage of StackOverflow for instance. Instead of googling for your problem, ask AI and provide very specific information like version numbers of libraries, etc. and it usually comes back with something helpful.
All those headlines and nonsense, like most content online these days it looks like marketing content, not journalism. AI tools are helpful and in some ways feel like an evolution of search engine technology from ~25 years ago. Treat its output like a junior developer or intern. It does require some effort, like coaching a junior dev or intern. You can also ask it stupid questions, things like tech you haven't worked on in a while but you "should know". Its helpful to get back up to speed on things like that.