This is my third revision to this blog… When I first wrote it, I found it more querulous of my use of AI and how I was attempting to change my ways. It wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be in regard to explaining the learning process, so hopefully, this revision is more benefical.
A few weeks ago, I was focused on making a pomodoro timer app to assist with studying. I was motivated to make my own app as pretty much all of the alternatives on the App Store had in-app purchases and other trackers (like why does a timer need a tracker).
I was happy that I was able to build and finish a project, but that night, I decided to wipe the code and start fresh, as I vibe-coded the entire app without learning a single thing. Today, I’m still working on the app along with multiple other projects, and I am beginning to understand a bit more about widgets and the other properties inherent to the language. But, this wasn’t accomplished by completely ditching AI, instead I had to put more effort into the learning process.
Learning
Go anywhere on the internet for 3 seconds and you’re going to see something AI generated. That’s just how it is now. AI can be a very helpful tool, but it can also be a huge detriment, especially to students or those trying to learn a craft. I started using AI when I was a sophomore in college. I thought it was a very helpful assistant that would make me more efficient. Instead, I relied on it, like an addictive drug, and I fell behind.
I realized this for a while but failed to do anything about it. Once you use AI repeatedly for something, it’s really hard to not use it, especially when the alternative is more physically or mentally taxing. But, learning only occurs when performing the taxing tasks. You see, the brain benefits under stress (like any other muscle). Using an AI to bypass this process is where most begin to fail. One thing to remember is that when in a situation of high stress, most fail to rise to the occasion and fall back on their training; this applies to job interviews, short-time events, and more.
My Approach
Unfortunately, I’m pretty busy when it comes to school… USAFA doesn’t take it easy on us. Since I don’t have that much time to dedicate to a new hobby, I’ve started using AI to supplement my learning and programming. If the project is something that I want to learn and genuinely improve my proficiency in, I’ll reference documentation, examples, videos, and other forms of media; try implementing a solution myself; and use AI when stuck to guide me in the right direction. Note how I said “guide,” as I’m not looking to be given a solution.
For tasks that are a lot simpler or one-off alterations (e.g. modifying my computer configuration), I don’t see an issue with using AI to get a quick solution. But, it’s vital to engage in the material and struggle through it; get errors and try to resolve them without AI. And, honestly, AI has given me absolutely terrible, inefficient solutions in many scenarios that I often need to consult actual documentation anyways.
What I’ve found to be most important is getting back into natural learning. My approach isn’t perfect; sometimes, I’ll find myself using AI more than I should or will be given a solution when asked not to – due to a hallucination or context length. However, I know that the more I practice learning, the better I’ll get at it.
To close, I realize that there will be some who are completely against the use of AI in any form. I can definitely understand why a person may think this way, but, in order for me to be successful in my field, I have to embrace emerging technologies. Can you believe that people used to be against the radio when it first came out… now it’s essential to everyday life. I’m not saying that an LLM will be as consequential, but we should familiarize ourselves, less we fall behind. But, what is vital is the ability to think for ourselves; the moment we outsource that, we lose our greatest ability.