Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong revealed that several engineers were dismissed after refusing to adopt AI coding assistants, despite the company purchasing enterprise licenses for GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Speaking on Stripe co-founder John Collison’s “Cheeky Pint” podcast, Armstrong said he was surprised at initial resistance to the tools, which he sees as essential to the future of software development.
Some managers had warned Armstrong that adoption would take months. Instead, he issued a company-wide mandate through Coinbase’s main engineering Slack channel, requiring every engineer to onboard by the end of the week. Those who failed to comply were asked to attend a Saturday meeting with Armstrong directly.
Enforcement and Fallout
Armstrong said some employees had valid reasons for not onboarding—such as being away on vacation—but others did not. Those without a reasonable explanation were let go. “They got fired,” Armstrong admitted, acknowledging that it was a “heavy-handed approach” and unpopular with some at the company. Still, he said it reinforced the message that AI adoption at Coinbase was not optional.
Since then, Coinbase has increased its focus on AI training. Armstrong noted that the company now hosts monthly sessions where teams share creative ways they’ve integrated AI into their workflows. He emphasized that AI’s role is not just about writing code faster, but also about finding new efficiencies across the company.
Questions About AI Dependency
During the podcast, Collison raised concerns about the long-term risks of relying heavily on AI-generated code. “It’s clear that it is very helpful to have AI helping you write code. It’s not clear how you run an AI-coded code base,” he said. Armstrong agreed, admitting that managing large repositories filled with AI-written code presents challenges.
Author’s Opinion
Forcing employees to use AI coding assistants under threat of termination may send a strong message about innovation, but it risks alienating talent and discouraging critical feedback. AI tools are powerful, but they are also flawed, and engineers should feel empowered to point out weaknesses instead of being forced into compliance. Coinbase’s approach highlights the tension between embracing emerging technology and maintaining a culture of trust and collaboration.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.