What are your thoughts on the best way to learn programming? Should learners incorporate AI tools into their process, and if so, to what extent? I've encountered various opinions, including the idea that "if you're not using AI, you're going to get left behind." While that does sound somewhat true, I've also seen many talented programmers who have extensive knowledge and skills without AI, achieving their expertise through pure passion for coding and technology. How do you view this debate?
5 Answers
I believe it's best to get comfortable with programming languages before heavily relying on AI. AI can be a useful tool, but if you depend on it too much, you might miss out on truly understanding the code you're working with. If you can’t write it on your own after using AI, that might indicate you're not ready to progress.
It's interesting to hear claims like "you'll be left behind if you don't use AI." It's similar to past trends where people said you needed to embrace web3 or NFTs to stay relevant. It tends to become more of a hype than practical advice. Understanding the basics remains key. If you rely solely on AI without knowing how to evaluate its output, you could be setting yourself up for confusion later.
I've noticed that coding everything yourself feels incredibly rewarding compared to relying on AI. Sure, AI can assist, but you should focus on understanding the fundamental principles behind programming.
Learning to program is tough and using AI can make it seem easy, which can be misleading. When relying on AI, remember that you're gaining skills in using the AI instead of coding. A good test is to turn off AI and try to write a simple program from scratch. If you struggle, it highlights how dependent you've become on AI.
Using AI can definitely help once you have a solid grasp of what you're doing. But if you're still learning, it's important to ensure you can verify the AI's output. Otherwise, you might not truly learn the programming concepts you need.

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