Hello,
I recently watched ThePrimeTime's video, where he reacted to an article that stated that junior developers often seem highly productive but may lack a deep understanding of their work because they rely heavily on AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and similar resources.
I do agree with the sentiment to some extent. Since tools like ChatGPT and other AI-based assistants have been introduced, I’ve noticed a shift in my own technical skills. Initially, I started using these tools for redundant tasks. Over time, however, their presence has become more predominant in my daily workflow. As a result, I’ve found myself getting tasks done quickly and meeting deadlines—but often without truly understanding the underlying concepts.
I've seen a lot of advice online that encourages developers, particularly juniors, to use these tools to help you understand your problem as well as the solution rather than just problem solving. However, I personally find it difficult to strike that balance. At first, it’s easy to read through the code or suggestions, but after a while, the focus often shifts to simply getting things to work, rather than understanding them fully.
From my perspective, I believe that AI tools like Copilot should be the last resort, only after exhausting other resources such as forums (like Stack Overflow), documentation, and more. I understand that in corporate environments, code confidentiality can be an issue, but outside of those settings, I feel that relying on tools like these should be a secondary option, not a first choice.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think AI tools have impacted your understanding of your work? I’d love to hear your perspective.
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