What if the slowdown isn't a bug but a feature? What if AI tools are forcing developers to think more carefully about their code, making them slower but potentially producing better results? AFAIK the study measured speed, not quality, maintainability, or correctness.

The developers might feel more productive because they're engaging with their code at a higher level of abstraction, even if it takes longer. This would be consistent with why they maintained positive perceptions despite the slowdown.