I'm learning web development and feel a little guilty when I use AI to write code. I don't ask it to build entire projects from scratch: I usually handle the parts I understand and use AI for familiar tasks I've implemented before. I still review the output to make sure it works, is secure, efficient, and maintainable. My thinking is that I can spend less time on repetitive or less interesting parts, then learn unfamiliar concepts properly before using AI with them in future projects. Is this a sensible way to learn, or would I be better off avoiding AI entirely while I'm starting out?
2 Answers
AI can let you focus on higher-level skills such as architecture, API design, testing, user experience, maintainability, and deployment. Those are important in real software projects, where delivering a reliable application involves much more than typing syntax. However, you still need enough hands-on practice to recognize bad suggestions, debug failures, understand performance and security issues, and work without the tool when necessary. A useful balance is to attempt a solution yourself first, use AI for assistance, and then explain the final code in your own words. If you cannot explain or change it, you relied on it too much.
You probably shouldn’t avoid AI entirely, but you also shouldn’t let it make every important decision for you. Build a strong understanding of fundamentals and be able to explain, debug, and modify the code it produces. Use AI as a tool for reviewing ideas, explaining unfamiliar code, suggesting alternatives, and handling repetitive work—not as a substitute for thinking. The best approach is probably a gradual one: solve some problems manually, then use AI to compare approaches or speed up work once you understand the basics.
That makes sense, but how do I decide which parts I should still do manually and which parts are safe to delegate?