The Wake-Up Call
So last month, I found myself writing yet another CRUD API for the millionth time. You know the drill - controllers, routes, validation, error handling, the whole shebang. And I'm sitting there at 11 PM thinking "there's gotta be a better way."
That's when I actually started using AI coding assistants for more than just autocomplete.
What Changed?
I'm not talking about just accepting suggestions anymore. I mean actually collaborating with AI tools to speed up the boring parts so I can focus on the interesting problems. Here's what surprised me:
1. Boilerplate Became a Non-Issue
Remember spending 20 minutes setting up test scaffolding? Yeah, that's like 2 minutes now. I just describe what I need and boom - proper test structure, mocks, assertions. Sure, I still review and tweak it, but the cognitive load is way less.
2. Documentation Stopped Being a Chore
Hot take: I actually started writing better docs because it doesn't feel like pulling teeth anymore. Generate a draft, make it sound like me, done. My team actually reads the docs now (shocking, I know).
3. Learning New Tech Got Easier
Picked up Rust last week for a side project. Instead of spending hours digging through docs for basic syntax, I could just ask questions and get example code. It's like having a patient mentor who never gets annoyed at "dumb" questions.
The Reality Check
Look, I'm not gonna pretend it's all perfect. Here's the stuff that still trips me up:
- The hallucination problem: Sometimes the AI confidently suggests code that looks right but doesn't work. You still need to know what you're doing.
- Over-reliance is real: I caught myself accepting suggestions without thinking. Bad habit. Now I force myself to understand every line.
- It's not magic: Complex architecture decisions? That's still on you. AI can help implement, but it won't design your system.
What I Actually Do Now
My workflow changed to something like this:
- Break down the problem (still me, still important)
- Let AI handle the repetitive parts (tests, basic implementations, config files)
- Review everything (seriously, EVERYTHING)
- Focus my brain on the hard stuff (architecture, edge cases, performance)
The Controversial Part
Here's what I think: if you're not using AI tools in 2026, you're like someone refusing to use Stack Overflow in 2015. It's just a tool that makes you more efficient.
But also - and this is important - you still need to be a good developer. AI doesn't replace understanding your craft. It just removes the tedious parts so you can focus on being creative and solving real problems.
The Bottom Line
My productivity legit doubled. Not because AI writes all my code (it doesn't), but because I spend less time on stuff a junior dev could do and more time on problems that actually matter.
Plus, I leave work at 6 PM now instead of 9 PM. That alone is worth it.
What About You?
How are you using AI coding tools? Are you in the "this is amazing" camp or the "this is concerning" camp?
Drop a comment - genuinely curious what everyone's experience has been.
P.S. - No, AI didn't write this post. Well, okay, it helped with that one paragraph I rewrote three times. But mostly me. Mostly.
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