I'm done coding with AI
By Brett Codes
This is an AI-generated summary of “I'm done coding with AI” — a 22 min YouTube video by Brett Codes, published August 11, 2026. It condenses the full transcript into 10 key takeaways with clickable timestamps.
Summary
A software developer shares his decision to stop using AI coding tools after a year and a half of use, citing negative impacts on his personal well-being, code quality, and the environment, and advocates for a return to manual coding for personal satisfaction and skill development.
Key Points
- The author, a software developer with over 20 years of experience, has decided to stop using AI coding tools due to negative personal and broader impacts.
- Initial interactions with AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot were dismissed as distracting or unreliable, with one instance involving an AI fabricating a non-existent software dependency version.
- Using AI coding tools like Zed editor led to initial feelings of increased productivity and excitement about the future of coding.
- A company mandate to use AI tools, driven by management's belief in AI's revolutionary potential, prompted the author to try them seriously.
- The author experienced a concerning incident where an AI chatbot gave him medical advice that led to an unnecessary emergency room visit, highlighting the dangers of treating AI as a human advisor.
- Prolonged use of AI coding tools resulted in a sense of existential dread, purposelessness, and apathy towards the work, as the developer felt disconnected from the code and his craft.
- The author found renewed satisfaction and purpose by returning to manual coding, emphasizing the joy of learning, growing, and creating software with care.
- The author argues that relying on AI for coding leads to a decline in developer skills, reduced understanding of the codebase, and ultimately, worse software quality due to feature bloat and maintenance challenges.
- Significant environmental concerns, including massive water consumption for AI operations and the impact of data centers on local communities, contributed to the author's decision.
- Ultimately, the author is willing to risk his career to stand by his decision to avoid AI tools, believing there is a way to thrive in software development without them and advocating for a return to craftsmanship.
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