The useful part of a practical AI coding workflow is rarely the exact tool list. It is the loop shape.
A senior engineer can use AI coding tools effectively when the task is framed, the environment is bounded, the generated change is inspected, and the next prompt carries the correction back into the run. The review loop is the product.
This is why coding-agent adoption keeps producing the same lesson: speed only matters when the operator can keep state, tests, diffs, and judgment connected. Otherwise the assistant produces code faster than the team can trust it.