I'm six months into my first junior software engineering job while studying computer and software engineering at university. I've already worked on complex bug fixes, performance improvements, and end-to-end features, but I've relied heavily on AI agents to get many of those tasks done. I usually understand most of the resulting code, yet I'm worried I couldn't independently solve a problem of similar complexity without the agent's help.
At a fast-moving startup, stopping AI use completely would probably reduce my productivity, so I'm looking for a gradual approach. How can I keep using AI responsibly while building the ability to reason through and implement more complex work on my own?
1 Answer
Occasionally build something substantial with no assistance at all. A project such as a small 3D software renderer forces you to work through algorithms, data structures, debugging, and design decisions yourself. You don’t need to do this for every work task, but challenging independent projects can reveal which fundamentals need more practice.
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