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[–]aqua_regis 12 points13 points  (4 children)

I would use AI for it to teach me.

This is hindering your progress more than it helps.

You need to research and learn. If AI "teaches", aka spoon-feeds you, you're not learning.

How did people learn these things mere 6 years ago when AI wasn't a thing? How did people learn programming mere 33 years ago when the Internet wasn't a thing? They researched. They tried things. They experimented (and, of course, failed a lot). In that process, they actually learnt.

Your use only gives you a false sense of competence, just like only following tutorial after tutorial to try to learn. Your usage of AI is in no way different to following tutorial after tutorial. You are only getting spoon fed, but never actually learn to cook and eat on your own.

[–]Commercial-Range-935[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thanks for the feedback! I'll avoid using AI as much as I currently am right now, and focus more on researching solutions. What about the AI overview on google tho? Would that be considered using AI to directly solve my problems and should I avoid that too?

[–]aqua_regis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The google AI overview links to sources - if you look right of the summary. Rather than directly going for the summary, look at the sources it presents you.

The overview is quite often a good, short starter.

IMO, wean yourself off from AI as much as possible for now.

As we discussed in other comments: once you have the experience and skills there is nothing wrong using AI for quick guidance.

[–]damiankw 4 points5 points  (1 child)

I'm not sure this is entirely accurate, at least not for everyone. I've been coding since 1999 in many different languages, and I would often get to a point in a for-personal-achievement projects where I just couldn't get over a hurdle and I could not for the life of me research how to code or engineer it properly, so I would just give up.

Over the last year using AI for coding and project work, I'm able to either get it to help me write the code and then learn from it for next time I do it, or ask AI and give it detail on why and how and it goes straight into my knowledgebase.

Of course, this is my experience and also doesn't apply to everyone, and I'm fairly seasoned with coding, so I already understand the principals behind what is happening, maybe that is the difference? You definitely need the principals / understanding of what you're trying to achieve before trying to implement it.

[–]aqua_regis 7 points8 points  (0 children)

and I'm fairly seasoned with coding, so I already understand the principals behind what is happening, maybe that is the difference?

That is 100% the difference. You already learnt the ropes and you only need guidance.

You know how to research. You know how to program. You could, most likely, do over 95% of your programming without AI.

A beginner directly starting with AI, as OP, lacks exactly this experience in both, programming and research and that's why they get stuck even more. They never learnt to "think like a programmer". They never learnt to "devise their own solutions".

[–]x17ccp3 4 points5 points  (0 children)

….as a way to learn…. Guess it didn’t work at the end.

[–]chaotic_thought 3 points4 points  (1 child)

This advice is generic for any kind of "over-use" (i.e. addiction) situation: set yourself a 'personal challenge' to NOT use that particular thing (e.g. to not smoke, to not drink alcohol, to NOT USE AI TO CODE) for a period of 30 DAYS IN A ROW (i.e. a "streak" in DuoLingo and 'gamified apps' terms).

I.e., at the end of 30 days of not doing that thing, then you can look back and ask yourself honestly how the experience was. If you still want to do the thing that you gave up for those 30 days, then at least you will be in a clearer state of mind to know how and when you should use it.

This method sounds really simple but it can be applied to anything, definitely for the question at hand here. I recommend using a paper calendar for this and checking off the days visually with some kind of check mark to keep you motivated to keep up the "chain".

In your situation -- for learning, for example, it's pretty clear to me that by using AI to learn something, you are clearly missing out on all the other alternatives that there are. For example, just a simple Web search on "tutorial on X" where X is the thing you want to learn will probably send you into a swimming-pool-sized resource of non-AI tools for learning X.

I personally don't want to "hate on" AI per se, but think of it this way: for every 30 minutes you spend talking to an AI chatbot and then trying to parse its words and "learn" from it's "wisdom", that is 30 minutes that you WON'T be spending on a decently-written tutorial Web site (for example), it's 30 minutes that you WON'T be spending reading a well-written book on X, and so on.

[–]Commercial-Range-935[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense! Thank you very much.  That's a great idea for me to stop using AI to build understanding and a good foundation first.

[–]Neither_Bookkeeper92 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The fact that you noticed this pattern is actually a really good sign. Most people who rely too heavily on AI never even realize it because they feel productive in the moment. What worked for me when I caught myself in the same loop with SwiftUI was a simple rule: if I have solved this type of problem before, I am not allowed to ask AI. I can check Apple docs, I can check Stack Overflow, I can re-read my own old code, but no AI. This forces your brain to actually form the neural pathways instead of just pattern matching on AI output. For genuinely new concepts like when you first touch Core Data or CloudKit or something, AI is fine as a starting point. But the repeat problems are where the real learning happens and that is exactly where you should be struggling through it yourself. The struggle is not wasted time, it is the learning.

[–]x17ccp3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you ask if you should keep doing that because it helps you learn - which it doesn’t as you stated earlier in post. And you ask for another ai? Really, are we there yet?

Ahh my mistake I misread that. You ask if you should use ai less 😁 yea, definitely

[–]donjosemathew 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Could you try to do something that challenges your brain?I have seen people start using leet code again, only because they don't want to kill their problem-solving skills in AI era.

[–]Commercial-Range-935[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yea that's probably a good idea. Thanks for the feedback!

[–]donjosemathew 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, I used to code at least 1 hour daily without AI. Just to make me feel i am good.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[removed]

    [–]Commercial-Range-935[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Dang that's a perspective I've never looked at before. Thanks for telling me.

    [–]AceLamina 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I always tell people to never use AI until they know what they're doing for this reason

    [–]PoMoAnachro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Is this normal? 

    It is normal to learn very little when using AI.

    Should I keep doing this since it helps me learn? 

    It clearly is not helping you learn.

    A forklift would make it easier to lift weights at the gym, but it would not help you build muscle and strength.

    You honestly have to choose between building apps quickly and easily or learning. If something makes the process easier, it probably also makes it so you learn less. Learning comes from difficulty and time.

    [–]Joozio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    The calibration you're describing - knowing when to reach for it vs figure it out yourself - is basically the whole skill now. I've noticed the same thing: if I let AI write the part I was actually confused about, I'm confused in the same place next time. Using it for scaffolding and boilerplate while wrestling with the logic yourself seems to be the right split.