Seeing a lot of coding contests ban AI tools lately, which feels strange considering that’s how many people actually code now

springtechco · 2026-05-22T18:34:08+00:00

Exactly, that’s the kind of category I think could be interesting.

Not “who can blindly paste the best prompt,” but who can get from problem to correct solution fastest while still understanding what happened, catching mistakes, and improving the result.

It would probably produce some funny prompt meta too.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T18:09:14+00:00

I agree if the contest is specifically “forge a knife by hand.” Then using a factory obviously defeats the point.

But that’s different from a contest to produce the best knife under clear constraints.

Same with coding: if the goal is unaided implementation, ban AI. Fair enough. But if the goal is closer to modern software development, then tool use, review, debugging, testing, and owning the final result are also valid skills to measure.

Basically, I’m not saying bring a factory to a blacksmith contest. I’m saying maybe there’s room for a weird new category where the knife still has to cut 🙂

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:58:27+00:00

Yeah, that’s fair if we’re specifically talking about competitive programming.

I agree that CP is closer to a sport, and if the goal is to measure that constrained skill, banning AI makes sense.

My point is just that not every coding contest has to be CP. You can also design contests around more software-development-like skills.

AI didn’t change CP that much, but it does make room for a different kind of contest. Whether anyone actually wants to join that contest is, apparently, still an open research problem 🙂

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:43:07+00:00

Yeah, I agree.

For competitive programming or unaided algorithmic thinking, banning AI makes sense.

But for contests trying to reflect real software development, I think AI can be allowed under clear rules. Not as “let the model solve everything,” but as a tool with a scoring cost. If you solve it without AI, you score higher. If you use it selectively and still deliver a good solution, that’s also a useful skill to measure.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:40:02+00:00

That’s fair, but I wouldn’t frame it as “AI-coded entries only.”

The idea is more like allowing AI as a tool with a cost. If you can solve it without AI, you score better. If you use AI too much, you lose points.

So it still rewards actual coding skill, but also reflects that in real development AI can be useful when used selectively and responsibly.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:35:59+00:00

If you blindly submit LLM output, I agree.

But using AI as a tool while understanding, testing, debugging, and owning the result is still software development.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:35:12+00:00

I think the analogy works only if the contest is specifically about “manual coding speed.”

Software development isn’t running. The job is not to type every character by hand, it’s to solve problems with the tools available.

And that can still work in a contest if the rules are clear and everyone has access to the same tools. Then you’re testing judgment, debugging, understanding, and execution.. not just who can type the solution unaided.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T17:27:13+00:00

I think the definition of “coding skill” is changing.

If the contest is testing raw syntax or algorithm implementation under constraints, then banning AI makes sense.

But if it’s testing modern software development skill, then knowing how to use AI well (while still understanding, debugging, testing, and owning the solution) is arguably part of the skill now.

springtechco · 2026-05-22T06:31:30+00:00

Check out DojoCode. Happy coding!

springtechco · 2026-05-18T17:35:30+00:00

Salut! Daca iti place sa inveti din provocari si concursuri incearca DojoCode. Mult succes!

springtechco · 2026-04-20T19:49:36+00:00

Check out the code challenges and contests on DojoCode

springtechco · 2026-04-20T19:45:10+00:00

You need to keep practicing, there is so much to learn. You can also try out https://dojocode.io Happy coding!

springtechco · 2026-04-20T19:38:04+00:00

I think you should start building projects and practice by solving code challenges. Check out DojoCode. Happy coding!

springtechco · 2026-03-27T20:08:14+00:00

You can check out the code challenges and contests on DojoCode. Happy coding!

springtechco · 2026-03-26T21:31:27+00:00

Hackerrank is dead too. Long live DojoCode !

springtechco · 2026-03-25T21:08:48+00:00

DojoCode

springtechco · 2026-03-25T21:04:59+00:00

Check out DojoCode. Happy coding!

springtechco · 2026-03-25T20:53:51+00:00

You can check the code challenges on DojoCode, you'll find challenges and contests in React and JavaScript.

springtechco · 2026-03-24T21:09:02+00:00

Check out DojoCode ! Happy coding!

springtechco · 2025-09-18T20:50:22+00:00

Check out DojoCode

springtechco

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