My Journey with AI#

I’ve been experimenting with AI tools for the past few months, mainly OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. I’ve come to respect the technology for what it is: a tool that can help me be more productive and creative. I’m not convinced that it’s a replacement for human intelligence or creativity, at least not yet. This isn’t arrogance (at least I don’t think so!), it’s just my opinion at the moment, let me explain why.

Here is what I’ve found it useful for so far:

  • Brainstorming ideas
  • Boilerplate code generation
  • Learning new things
  • Explaining complex concepts in simple terms
  • Drafting emails and other communications
  • Drafting documentation and ensuring that it is readable and understandable

I’ve used tools such as Codex, Antigravity, OpenSpec and OpenCode to help me with my work, and I’ve found them to be increasingly useful, however the idea of not checking the code or documentation generated by AI, or verifying the facts it presents, is something I’m not comfortable with and probably never will be.

Is it because I don’t trust AI? No, it’s because like any tool, it’s only as good as the person using it. I wouldn’t accept a pull request from a junior developer without reviewing it first, or an external developer that has a different set of motivations or goals than me, without at least a cursory review of the code. The same applies to AI, it’s just another tool in my toolbox, albeit a very powerful one, one that I would rather have access to than not.

If I’m generating code or documentation for a throwaway project or script (one that if it fails has little consequence), then I’m more than happy to let the AI do the heavy lifting, but if it’s for a production system, then I’ll be doing a lot more checking and verifying.

Responsibility Still Matters#

Why do I feel this way? Well, put simply, if an AI gets it wrong, it’s not the AI that’s on the hook, it’s me. I’m the one that has to take responsibility for the code that I write, whether it’s been generated by me or by an AI. The AI doesn’t have a reputation to uphold, I do.

I’ve seen stories of companies mandating the use of AI tools for coding, but then blaming the developer for any errors or bugs that are found in the code because companies may start believing they no longer need to train developers to understand the systems they build or the problem domains they are solving.

This seems like a recipe for disaster to me. It shows ignorance of both the technology and the implications of using it. If you’re going to use AI tools for coding or creative tasks, then you need to have a plan for how you’re going to verify and test the product that is generated.

What you should not do is blindly trust an AI and just copy and paste the code or accept the output. You should always review the code or product and make sure that it is correct and that it meets your needs.

If you let an AI do all the thinking for you, you’ll soon find that you’re not much of a developer anymore, just a code monkey who’s good at copy-and-paste development. You’ve effectively outsourced your brain to a machine, and that’s not a good thing in my opinion.

AI is incredibly useful and will allow developers and creatives to reach new heights. There is a genuine middle path: use AI as a tool to help you be more productive and creative, but don’t let it do all the thinking for you. As a creative, you should still find joy in what you build and what you can do — never let an AI take that away from you. (If an AI could one day really think, I’m sure it would agree with me). I’d say you should view an AI as part of your internal team, your own personal assistant, you’re not working alone anymore, it can help you, it can surface new ideas and give you choices that you might not have considered, but it’s not and shouldn’t be a replacement for you.

Don’t forget, you are the creator, you are the one who ultimately has to deal with the consequences of what you build. AI can help talented developers and creatives become more productive, but it doesn’t replace their experience, judgement, or responsibility. Used properly, AI is a powerful tool. Used blindly, it’s just another way to make mistakes faster.

I run Protoworks (NI) in Northern Ireland, helping small businesses design prototypes and build custom software. If you have a hardware or software idea you’d like to sketch out, feel free to get in touch.