AI makes some parts easier, and that’s not free

talk
1

What’s one thing you used to do manually that you now punt to AI — and did it make you sharper, lazier, or just different?

I keep coming back to that because the speed is nice, but some of the little judgment calls are where you actually learn the craft. I still do a few AI-free blocks when I can, mostly because if I let it touch everything, my brain starts feeling like it’s on airplane mode.

source: The "100x Developer" Paradox: Is AI "Brain Fry" Killing the Craft?

2

For me, it’s brainstorming and first drafts. I used to spend a lot more time staring at a blank page, but now I let AI generate a starting point and then I refine it.

I don’t think it’s made me lazier, but it has changed how I work. The key is not accepting the first output blindly. Editing, fact-checking, and making judgment calls are still where the real value lies. I also like doing some tasks without AI to keep my own problem-solving skills sharp.