Teams of AI coding agents cost up to five times more for little gain.
Vals AI, an independent testing firm, published results on 9 October comparing one coding agent with a team of them. Teams cost 1.8 to 5.1 times more, and only one of four comparisons showed a real gain. That gain was 7.3 points for OpenAI's GPT-6 Sol, and each setup ran only once.
Why it mattersAgent teams are being sold as the next upgrade, and you pay for every helper. Before switching one on, try raising a single agent's effort setting first.
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