Is AI Making Coding Easier or Lazier? My Thoughts After Using GPT in Every Project

There was a time when writing code felt like cracking ancient scrolls. You would open 18 tabs, sift through Stack Overflow posts from 2012, and spend an hour figuring out why your semicolon ruined everything. Fast forward to now, and you have GPT answering your bug reports like a friendly senior developer who never sleeps. Sounds perfect, right?

But here’s the question that’s been itching at the back of my mind: Is AI making us better developers, or just more dependent ones?

My First AI Assisted Project

I still remember the first time I used ChatGPT in a serious project. It was a hackathon build, and we had no idea how to implement secure login or manage server requests. In desperation, I pasted my problem into ChatGPT, and suddenly it gave me runnable, structured code with explanations. That moment felt like magic. We were not just saved, we were supercharged.

From that day forward, GPT became part of my workflow. Whether it was fixing routing issues, generating placeholder content, writing README files, or even converting a user story into code logic, it did it all.

But over time, I noticed something strange.

The Lazy Loop

I started skipping the "why." When GPT handed me code that worked, I often did not go back to fully understand it. I was in build mode, efficiency over curiosity. Sure, that helped me move faster, but it also meant I was growing slower in certain areas. I was not debugging as deeply, I was not remembering as much syntax, and I noticed that when GPT gave me an incorrect answer, I would sometimes blindly trust it, only to lose hours fixing a chain of bad assumptions.

That is when I realized, AI can make you efficient, but it can also trap you in a lazy loop.

The Second Brain Trap

Using AI for everything feels like having a second brain, but if you keep outsourcing your thinking to it, your own first brain slowly stops trying. It really shows when you are in an interview or when you are coding offline or on a whiteboard with no lifeline.

I have been there. I have had those moments where I blanked on a concept I used ten times, just because I never truly learned it. I just copied it from GPT and moved on. That shook me.

The Balance That Works for Me

So I changed how I use GPT. Now, I treat it like a senior developer, not a babysitter. I ask for guidance, not answers. If I get a code snippet, I rewrite it in my own words or try to build it from scratch after understanding the logic. I force myself to explain it back to myself, line by line.

• Use AI to save time, not to skip learning.
• Always verify and customize outputs, AI does not know your exact context.
• Treat AI explanations as a starting point, then dig deeper with docs and experiments.
• Practice building things solo, every now and then go AI free. It is painful, but rewarding.

Final Thoughts

So, is AI making coding easier? Definitely. Is it making us lazier? It can, but only if we let it.

The truth is, AI is like fire. In the right hands, it can power engines, light up cities, and push boundaries. In the wrong hands, it can burn through your skills, your curiosity, and your growth. It all depends on how you use it.

I still use GPT in every project, but now I use it to grow faster, not to avoid thinking. If you are reading this, wondering if you are in the lazy loop too, just pause, unplug GPT for a few hours, and build something the hard way.

It will hurt a bit, but trust me, it will teach you more than any AI ever could.