AI Now Writes Half of New Code at Robinhood, CEO Says

Robinhood leads in corporate AI coding ahead of Big Tech giants

San Francisco – July 22, 2025

Robinhood’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, shared on the 20VC podcast that AI now writes about 50% of the company’s new code. He added that nearly all engineers use AI tools like Cursor and Windsurf. This reflects a faster adoption rate than even tech giants like Google or Microsoft. According to Tenev, the boundary between human-written and AI-generated code is growing increasingly blurred.

This surge in AI coding tools has had a “huge” impact on both engineering and customer support teams, said Tenev. Robinhood’s integration of AI-assistance aims to streamline workflows, cut development time, and improve internal efficiency.

The CEO noted that Robinhood’s share price has jumped over 170% this year. He credited AI-driven productivity as a key factor behind the company’s growth.

Industry analysts point out that Microsoft and Google claim AI generates about 30% of their code, while Robinhood leads with its use of “vibe coding” a term describing seamless AI-assisted development. The broader tech sector is catching on, with tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor spurring innovation. However, experts warn that human oversight remains essential to prevent bugs and security risks.

Despite the momentum, some developers voice concerns about overreliance on AI. They warn that while AI boosts efficiency, developers must still validate the code and manage edge-case failures to avoid potential risks. A METR study found that while developers believed AI sped their work by 20%, the reality showed a net slowdown of 20%—echoing caution across the industry.

Robinhood’s adoption stands out as a case study of how startups are often early and aggressive adopters of new technologies. As AI code generation platforms mature and more developers embrace them, businesses of all sizes will face new opportunities and scrutiny to ensure their AI-powered systems remain secure, reliable, and ethically sound.

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