Learn the why, not just the what.
AI can make juniors productive on day one, and stop them from ever building the understanding that makes them senior.
The risk
Skipping The Struggle
- The struggle is where learning happens
- Output without a mental model
- Stuck when AI is wrong
The guardrails
Explain It Back
- Explain every line before merging
- Ask AI to teach, not just produce
- Try first on learning tasks
The mentor
Review The Reasoning
- Pair regularly
- Ask “why this way?” in review
- Share how you think, not just fix
Speed is not the same as skill.