How I Use AI
Last updated: 25 June 2026
For transparency to users/readers/consumers, this is a general overview of how I do and do not utilize AI in my work.
I do not use AI to…
- Write prose, edit prose, brainstorm topics, or outline posts for my blog
- Write core functionality or logic in code
- "Vibe code" entire projects or pieces of software
- Brainstorm ideas for projects to work on
I sometimes use AI to…
- Answer quick questions that I might otherwise find the answer to on Stack Overflow
- Outsource particular elements of a software project in alignment with my personal goals (e.g. bootstrapping a GUI frontend)
- Debug something I can't figure out
I try to keep in mind that AI is a tool — something to be used to get me to my goal, not to supplant my goal. As such, I've developed this question to ask myself to keep me on track: "If I consult an LLM right now, will it sabotage my goals in some way?" In other words, if I outsource some particular question to AI, will I ever learn the fundamentals of the thing I'm asking about (and does that matter to me)?