Stop Asking AI to Do Your Work
I need to be honest with you about something.
I'm writing this blog post with AI right now. And that's exactly the problem.
How It Started
ChatGPT released in 2022 (or 2021, I don't even remember - that's how fucked my memory is now). I tried it out because I was curious. It was cool. It was helpful.
Then I started using it for everything.
School assignments? AI. Projects? AI. Debugging code? AI. Texting my crush? AI, because I didn't want to sound like a non-empathic idiot.
Yeah. I used AI to talk to a girl I liked. That's how deep this shit goes.
The Wake-Up Call That Didn't Wake Me Up
Summer 2023. Coding camp. I looked around and saw other people actually learning. Building solid projects. Understanding what they were doing.
I was sitting there with ChatGPT open, copying code I didn't understand, pretending I knew what I was doing.
That should have been the moment I stopped. It wasn't.
What AI Took From Me
I can't come up with ideas anymore. Not on my own.
I can't solve problems alone. My first instinct is to ask AI.
I feel dumber than I was before AI existed. And I probably am.
Things I used to be able to do that I can't do anymore without AI:
- Write anything longer than a paragraph
- Brainstorm project ideas
- Code anything more complex than simple scripts
- Think through problems step by step
I've become dependent on a chatbot to do my thinking for me.
The Dependency
I tried to stop. Multiple times.
I even set up Habitica to track my AI usage and punish myself for using it. Didn't work.
Whether I'm at home or at school trying to learn math, my first reaction is to open Claude or ChatGPT instead of asking my teacher or classmates.
It's easier. Faster. No judgment. No "that's a stupid question."
But it's killing me.
The Lie I'm Living
My teachers think I'm smart.
My classmates think I know what I'm doing.
My grades are good.
But I feel like I'm getting dumber every day. And I don't have the balls to tell anyone that I'm using AI for everything.
If AI disappeared tomorrow, I could still code. I could still do reverse engineering work. But every single project on my portfolio? Most of my C++ projects? This website you're reading right now?
Gone. None of it would exist without AI.
The Worst Part
For simple tasks, I actually understand what AI gives me. But when I use it for complex problems? I just copy-paste the solution and move on.
I don't learn. I just... survive.
My productivity is high. My raw skill? Dogshit.
I'm worse at programming because of AI. Not better. Worse.
I don't think for myself anymore. I paste my problems into a text box and copy whatever comes out.
Why I Can't Stop
Because I'm addicted.
People are addicted to drugs, porn, gambling, social media. I'm addicted to AI.
It's pathetic, but it's true.
And the fucked up part? I'm writing this blog about AI addiction with AI. You think I'm joking? I'm not. I answered questions, Claude wrote this, I edited it a bit, and here we are.
I can't even write a blog post about my AI problem without using AI.
The Brutal Truth
If you're reading this and thinking "I use AI too, but I'm not addicted like this guy," good. Keep it that way.
But if you recognize yourself in any of this, you need to hear what I'm saying:
AI is not making you smarter. It's making you dependent.
You're not learning faster. You're learning less and producing more.
Your portfolio looks impressive, but you don't actually understand half the shit in it.
Your grades are good, but you couldn't pass the same test without AI.
You're speedrunning to mediocrity.
What I Should Do (But Probably Won't)
I should delete Claude. Delete ChatGPT. Delete every AI tool I use.
I should struggle through problems on my own. Take longer to finish projects. Ask real people for help.
I should be okay with being slower if it means actually learning.
But I probably won't do any of that.
Because I'm addicted, and addicts don't just stop because they know they should.
To Everyone Still Using AI "Responsibly"
You're probably fine. Most people can use AI as a tool without letting it replace their brain.
But watch yourself. It's a slow slide.
First it's "I'll just use it for boilerplate code." Then it's "I'll use it to debug this one problem." Then it's "I'll use it to write this function." Then it's "I'll use it for the whole project."
And before you know it, you can't remember the last time you solved a problem without asking AI first.
The Uncomfortable Question
If AI disappeared tomorrow, could you still do your job? Your schoolwork? Your projects?
Be honest.
If the answer is "yes, but it would take way longer," you're fine.
If the answer is "I don't know" or "probably not," you're fucked.
I'm in the second category.
Final Thoughts
I'm not telling you to stop using AI. I'm not even telling myself to stop (even though I should).
I'm just being honest about what it did to me.
It made me faster. It made me more productive. It made my portfolio look better.
But it made me dumber. It killed my creativity. It made me dependent.
And I still can't stop using it.
So yeah. Stop asking AI to do your work.
I can't either.
TLDR: Been using AI since ChatGPT launched. Used it for everything - school, projects, even texting girls. Realized in 2023 I was getting dumber while everyone else was actually learning. Can't brainstorm, can't solve problems alone, can't write without it. Tried to stop multiple times, failed every time. I'm addicted. My grades are good but I understand less. If AI disappeared, most of my projects wouldn't exist. I'm worse at programming because of AI, not better. And I'm writing this blog about my AI addiction with AI. I'm fucked and I know it.