I'm trying to get into programming and I understand some basic concepts, but I'm finding it really hard to focus on learning when I have access to AI tools like ChatGPT and Qwen2.5. Do you all think that in the future it might be sufficient to just understand the fundamentals and rely completely on AI for coding?
6 Answers
Isn't that like telling kids not to learn grammar because AI can fix it? If you have AI doing everything, you'll miss out on actually understanding programming. Learning will always be beneficial, especially for more advanced tasks where AI may struggle.
You know, it’s really easy to get caught up in shortcuts. But unless you truly understand the basics, you won’t be able to handle advanced concepts when AI lets you down. You'll just end up lost without a solid foundation.
If you're set on using AI, make sure to first go through tutorials so you understand what you're doing. Don't just copy and paste—learn the material, ask questions, and try to engage with the AI to actually teach you something instead of just taking everything it gives you!
If your goal is to really learn programming, it's best to minimize your dependence on AI. Using AI for coding can seem tempting, but it doesn't teach you well; AI often provides incorrect solutions that you won't be able to debug if you don’t fully grasp the concepts. Until AI becomes sophisticated enough to effectively manage coding on its own, having a solid understanding of programming is crucial.
AI is great for doing some simple tasks, but coding involves problem-solving that AI can't really handle well. You still need to know how to approach and solve problems to really succeed in programming, or you’ll just end up chasing your tail!
Using AI can speed things up once you know what you're doing, but if you blindly rely on it, you might end up with bloated code and no idea how to fix issues. Start with small tasks and lean on AI as a tool rather than a crutch, or you'll find yourself stuck when you need to build something complex.
I get that! I've been learning while tackling a project at work. AI seems like a shortcut, but everything worked out fine after some testing. Sometimes you do need that human touch!