Vibe Coding Is Making Braindead Coders
6 hours ago
- #AI in programming
- #developer skills
- #problem-solving
- The author confesses to using AI (Claude Code) for coding, which they feel is making them worse at programming by reducing deep understanding and promoting instant gratification.
- Reflecting on their early coding days, the author shares a personal story about solving a complex problem (Project Euler's Lattice Paths) through weeks of struggle, leading to a eureka moment and deep satisfaction.
- The author contrasts this with their current experience of using AI for coding, describing it as a hollow, dopamine-driven process that lacks the intellectual challenge and growth of traditional problem-solving.
- They express concern about the impact of AI on junior developers, fearing it may create a generation of programmers who can ship code but lack deep reasoning skills.
- The author acknowledges the productivity benefits of AI but warns against outsourcing thinking, which can erode confidence and problem-solving abilities.
- They suggest intentional use of AI: understanding generated code, practicing problems without AI, using waiting time productively, and remembering the purpose of coding.
- The author concludes that while AI is revolutionary, the best developers will remain those who can think deeply about complex problems, and that avoiding hard problems risks losing the essence of being a programmer.