In my experience these tools amplify the quality of a programmer.
I have seen good programmers dramatically increase their productivity, but I've also seen others copy-pasting for loops inside other for loops where one loop would definitely suffice. We're not quite there yet.
Absolutely it amplifies. Complex and esoteric configuration of frameworks, for example, entails so much reading and Googling and can be very time consuming without AI. AI can help to bring custom software to the markets that could not otherwise afford to pay for it.
I observe a certain laziness in myself when it comes to certain problems. It's easier to ask a LLM and debug provided code, but I ask myself if I'm losing some problem solving capabilities in the long run because of this.
Similar to the loss of speed in doing mental arithmetic because of calculators on the smartphone.
I have seen good programmers dramatically increase their productivity, but I've also seen others copy-pasting for loops inside other for loops where one loop would definitely suffice. We're not quite there yet.