𝗜 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝟯𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀
I stopped using Copilot. I logged out of ChatGPT. I removed all AI extensions.
I spent 30 days with a blank editor and my own brain.
A friend told me about a junior developer. He used a recursive approach in a pull request. When asked why, he said Copilot suggested it.
He did not know why his code worked.
I looked at my own work. I found functions I could not explain. I had just pressed tab and moved on.
I decided to run an experiment. Here is what happened:
Week 1: My productivity dropped by 60%. I struggled to write even a simple email.
Week 2: My flow state returned. I focused for 2 hours straight without interruptions from ghost text.
Week 3: My code quality improved. I caught bugs that I would have shipped before.
Week 4: I created three rules for using AI. My favorite is the 15-Minute Rule.
The 15-Minute Rule: When you find a bug, set a timer for 15 minutes. Do not use AI. Read the error. Check the documentation. Trace the logic. Think.
I solved the problem before the timer ended 90% of the time. I learned the logic instead of pasting a fix.
Stop letting tools do your thinking. You need to understand your work.
Could you code for 7 days without AI? Tell me in the comments.
Source: https://dev.to/dhanushnehru/i-coded-without-ai-for-30-days-heres-what-it-did-to-my-brain-1ihl
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi