[bensyverson]

There are certain things I enjoy coding by hand, in exactly the same way I like using a manual coffee grinder. Coding can be enjoyable.

But most of the time coding is a means to an end. I bet your friend in HVAC was not told to use a manual drill to have a deeper understanding of how to make holes for installation. AI is simply a power tool.

[bluefirebrand]

> AI is simply a power tool

I could not disagree more strongly

Using a power tool does not erode your ability to think about how to build a shelf.

Using AI to write for you absolutely erodes your ability to think about what you're writing, be it software or blog posts

[bensyverson]

People have said this about virtually every new writing technology, from pencils to typewriters, from computers to spell-check.

Personally I would never use AI for writing, but it's absolutely a power tool for coding. I still need to think about what needs to be generated, and why. For now, I still need to guide the model based on my experience. And in the end, I'm on the hook to approve what's created. If anything, I have more time to think about what I'm making, because I'm not busy building the CRUD for a web app for the 100th time.

[bluefirebrand]

> People have said this about virtually every new writing technology, from pencils to typewriters, from computers to spell-check.

Do you think it is a coincidence that literacy rates among the younger generations are lower than previous generations right now?

Imagine making the same argument for text to speech. "You don't need to learn how to read or write because you'll always have a voice activated AI assistant to read stuff for you"

Maybe that doesn't bother you. I think it would represent a horrifying backslide of society into ignorance