Flaky tests can severely hinder productivity in CI pipelines, but using an AI assistant within your IDE can streamline the detection and resolution of these issues. By integrating with CircleCI, the assistant helps identify flaky tests, suggests fixes, and maintains project stability without the need for constant context switching. This method enhances the reliability of the test suite and improves overall team efficiency.

Tests are essential for maintaining confidence in software development, but not all tests should be kept. Flaky, irrelevant, or overly burdensome tests can decrease confidence and hinder productivity, making it necessary to delete them to foster a healthier development environment. Instead of clinging to ineffective tests, developers should focus on writing new, relevant tests that enhance confidence in their code changes.