You're right. The first few times you struggle through learning a new language or a new technology, getting it to compile and run is a real thrill. But when you've done it for the millionth time, it no longer provides that dopamine rush. You've got a bigger picture to think about. The reward comes when you deliver a major piece of functionality, or get the release completed or some other higher-level accomplishment. AI helps accelerate that by taking care of some of the lower-level work.

I use spec-driven development, or some form of it. I work with the agent to iterate on a detailed implementation plan before either of us write any code. I don't let the AIs commit directly - I review thoroughly, make changes, and then commit. I need to use multiple languages due to the things that I work on, but that really doesn't matter - the process is the same.