How AI coding agents work—and what to remember if you use them

AI coding agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google can assist in software projects by writing apps, running tests, and fixing bugs under human supervision. These agents are powered by large language models (LLMs) trained on vast text data, including programming code, to make logical inferences. Techniques like fine-tuning and reinforcement learning further refine these models. Recent innovations include simulated reasoning models and multi-LLM agents that work together to improve accuracy and efficiency in completing tasks. Each coding agent typically consists of a supervising LLM that assigns tasks to parallel LLMs, which execute instructions using software tools, allowing for task interruption and evaluation.