AI has become a huge part of my development workflow from frontend to backend, all the way to DevOps. It’s fast, efficient, and lets me focus on the big-picture stuff. But recently, I caught myself just... vibing copy-pasting my way through the day. 😅

And while that can be tempting (especially on tight deadlines), I realised I needed to put some guardrails in place to keep learning, keep thinking, and not let my skills go soft.

So here are my 5 go-to rules to ride the AI coding wave like a pro without becoming over-reliant.

1. 🧠 Understand Before You Build

This is my remix of that classic line:

"Measure 20 times, cut once. Sharpen 1000 times... cut once." (okay, maybe too many cutting metaphors 😅)

The idea? Don’t dive in blind.. Before I write any code, whether it’s AI-assisted or not, I try to visualise the structure:

What’s the goal?
What are the components?
How will each part talk to the other?

Having a mental blueprint makes it easier to prompt AI intentionally and helps keep my thinking sharp.

2. ✍️ Write What You Can

Writing code is how you really learn. So I make a conscious effort to write as much of the code as I can myself, especially logic-heavy parts, tricky loops, or things I want to get better at.

I might still ask AI for ideas, examples, or edge cases, but I don’t outsource the whole process. That would be like going to the gym and making the weights lift themselves.

3. 🔍 Review, Review, Review

Never just copy-paste blindly. Every time AI gives me code, I go into review mode:

Can this be cleaner?
Can I split this into smaller functions?
Do I understand what each line does?
Is there a better pattern to use?

Ironically, AI has made me better at code reviewing, which is a superpower in team environments.

4. 🧪 Test Everything

You guessed it: Test. Test. Test.

AI makes assumptions. Sometimes it gets edge cases wrong. Sometimes you forget to mention a critical detail in your prompt. Either way, if you don’t test, you’re flying blind.

So yeah, I test AI code like I wrote it myself. Because if it breaks, that’s on me.

5. ☀️ Enjoy the Process

This one’s underrated. Whether it’s debugging a stubborn bug or tweaking a layout for the 100th time, coding with AI should still feel creative and fun.

It’s easy to feel like AI is doing all the work, but when you’re intentional with your prompts, thinking deeply, and making decisions, you’re still in the driver’s seat.

Enjoy it. Learn from it. Grow with it.

Final Thoughts

AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to amplify us. But only if we stay sharp, curious, and engaged. These 5 rules help me code faster and better, without losing that developer edge.

So the next time you feel like you’re just vibing through your code, pause and check:

Are you building... or are you just pasting?

Let’s ride the AI wave with skill, not just speed. 🏄‍♂️💻

🧡 If you found this helpful, let’s connect. Drop your favourite “AI + Dev” tips in the comments. I’m always down to learn more.

Riding the AI Coding Wave Without Drowning Your Skills