AI Won’t Make You a Better Developer

If AI is writing your code, who's doing the thinking?

AI tools like GPT-4, Claude, and Copilot are incredible. They autocomplete functions, refactor your code, and even generate entire modules. It’s tempting to let AI handle the "boring" parts so you can move faster.

But here’s the problem: if you’re new to programming and relying on AI to write your code, you’re stunting your growth.

The hardest part of engineering isn’t writing syntax—it’s problem-solving. It’s breaking down a complex issue, understanding trade-offs, and crafting a scalable solution.

AI doesn’t do that for you. It just spits out code.

And if you skip learning the fundamentals now, you’ll pay for it later. Because when things break—and they will—you won’t know how to fix them.

Coding Is Like Lifting Weights—You Have to Do the Reps Yourself

Imagine walking into the gym for the first time, grabbing a barbell, and struggling to lift it.

Now imagine someone comes over, lifts the bar for you, and says, “See? That’s how you do it.”

That’s AI.

It can show you the solution, but it doesn’t build the muscle. It doesn’t teach you why something works, where the pitfalls are, or how to think through a problem on your own.

The best developers? They don’t just memorize solutions. They build the instincts to solve problems.

And the only way to develop those instincts is by putting in the work.

If You Skip Problem-Solving, You’ll Get Steamrolled

New developers who rely on AI are setting themselves up for a massive disadvantage.

Why? Because AI isn’t replacing great engineers—it’s exposing weak ones.

Companies don’t just want people who can write code. They want developers who can think, debug, and communicate their ideas effectively.

If you don’t build those skills, you’ll get absolutely outpaced by developers who did.

So if you’re just starting out, your ratio should be 90% coding, 10% AI assistance.

✅ Google the error before asking AI.
✅ Search Stack Overflow.
✅ Read GitHub issues.
✅ Dig into documentation.

Yes, it’s more frustrating. Yes, it’s slower. But that’s how you actually learn.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Crutch

The best developers I know don’t just copy-paste AI suggestions. They analyze, refine, and question everything.

That’s why I resonate with developers like ThePrimeagen—because the real skill isn’t writing 1,000 lines of AI-generated code in an hour.

It’s knowing what to write and why.

If you use AI wisely, it’s a powerful tool. But if you let it do the thinking for you? You’ll never build the skills that actually matter.

So if you’re new to coding, do yourself a favor:

Put in the work now. Your future self will thank you.