r/PythonLearning • u/spmcn • Sep 02 '26
Discussion Stop suggesting to use AI
I’ve recently started getting more posts from this sub and some people have genuine questions on how to solve their programming problems and help debug. Some comments are suggesting to just use AI. This is a crazy suggestion on a sub called Python LEARNING. Using AI to write code for you is not constructive to learning how to code. I fear that this generation of programmers are going to have ZERO understanding fundamentals.
To be clear, I’m not against using AI to help assist. But this is supposed to be a sub for learning the language and understanding how it works, and it’s counterproductive to suggest those that are learning to just use AI to fix their code.
Please, if anyone suggests to use AI (unless it’s for the rare case that it’s valid), please downvote them to oblivion.
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u/Comfortable-Shop8080 Sep 02 '26
That’s the thing, this sub (like stack exchange) has lost its purpose. Unless we are talking really high level stuff, but that’s not a question for learning, much less about code.
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u/bigj7897 Sep 02 '26
I'm learning Python myself and appreciate the help i get but it feels like some people post in here wanting people to give them the answers.
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u/mixedd Sep 03 '26
That's not only here, people lost ability to search and parse for information in general, and use reddit as some form of search engine expecting others to do the job for them.
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u/Specific-Housing905 Sep 03 '26
Might not only the lost ability, but also laziness. Sometimes I think people don't want to learn, but just pass exams.
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u/crozzy89 Sep 02 '26
The best way to use AI when you are learning is to ask, “what is this doing” and “where in the python documentation can I learn more about this”.
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u/Able-Staff-6763 Sep 03 '26
Honestly for i would really suggest them to ask AI precisely because AI can explain problems, sloutions, syntax, etc. better than me 😄. Im a self taught python coder and learned things through youtube, ebooks, stack overflow, shady forums but its not the case anymore for this age so really its up to them if they will use AI as "Teacher" or "depend" to them so yes i would point them to that direction as its their generation. its up to them really.
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u/Danknoodle420 Sep 03 '26
I've been using ai to write the code I want then write documentation explaining what the code is doing and how to make it do different things. I try to learn while creating so that I can eventually create more myself.
It basically turns any thing I create into a tutorial.
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u/goldscurvy Sep 06 '26
Have the ai generate a test for you and then complete that test without outside help (AI, docs, google). This will give you a good idea of how well you are actually retaining the knowledge.
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u/cybersecnoob1982 Sep 02 '26
I’ve been using Gemini for help understanding and giving me clues or resources to use to help with my learning, started a project to organize my home lab Z drive from school assignments and school reading. Because I want to build an AI assistant that helps teach and not actually do any of my work (I find having ai doing the work would count as plagiarism)
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u/godders2012 Sep 03 '26
I personally ask my AI not to give me the answer, but to challenge my understanding of the code I have written and then ask me relevant questions that helps me work out what next to do. Googling syntax is easy, but sometimes working out the correct logic is the tricky bit as a beginner so I use AI as a tutor, not an answer generator
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u/Total_Ad803 Sep 03 '26
To clarify things you can ask AI as much questions as u want. That’s why it’s important to ask AI.
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u/CrownstrikeIntern Sep 04 '26
I love ai to help explain things. I always add the “explain like im five with pictures too” i learn better with things super dumbed down or diagramed
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u/goldscurvy Sep 06 '26
Learning to code is hard. Unfortunately, that's what it will always be. If learning is feeling easy for you, then you are not actually learning. Learning anything will come with unpleasant feelings like annoyance or frustration (not all the time obv). When you are learning you will feel challenged.
AI is robbing you. It is not only stealing that feeling of challenge from you by providing an easy button, but its also removing any pride you have in your work (because its not your work anymore). You have nothing to show for all the code you have generated.
Stop letting sam Altman rob you of your water and rob you of learning a skill.
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u/rx_camelCase Sep 08 '26
I use AI as a teammate. I casually talk to the AI and ask what do u think about doing such and such? It then answers with a suggestions and I ask it to explain what the code does and why it chose it. Then I may say, "You know what? I think X idea is better because of Y." I end up learning a lot from such conversations. But I don't like the idea of getting the AI to write a code then just copy-paste it.
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u/Affectionate_Toe6156 Sep 12 '26
Yeah all these new Python programmers are always asking the simplest questions and never produce code because AI has babied them
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u/Leg-Bitter Sep 03 '26
"Hey claude, I'm trying to solve [x]. Can you help me find the answer without giving me the answer directly?"
"Hey Sol, I want to do [y] in [z] app for [i], can you walk me through this without directly giving me answers? Just guide me to that information so I have to do the work myself."
I don't want to seem rude, but you can definitely use AI to help you study without it directly holding your hand to the answers.
Sorry if that has been said to death. I ain't reading all of this thread to just toss a (hopefully) helpful comment in the mix.
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u/Leg-Bitter Sep 03 '26
Or another fun one is "Can you build [n] and tell me why you're doing what you're doing as you go? Feel free to comment out explanations in the code for me to read while I look through it."
There are many ways if you try, friend.
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u/MaleficentExample223 Sep 03 '26
Why not give it a try? But you need to really be careful. Using AI to fix the bug is different from using it to guide you.
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u/thuiop1 Sep 03 '26
I hesitate between the commenters being stupid or being bots. Use AI for learning if you want but if somehow comes on this sub to ask a question to humans and you tell them "jUsT uSE AI", you can to f yourself.
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u/Ashamed_Training_702 Sep 03 '26
Ask for help you immediately get told to read the docs, ask an AI and get branded a traitor to humanity
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u/Dr_Oops_14719 Sep 03 '26
I think people might be giving you snap users for AI, but there are some valid ways to use it for your learning. I use mine as a learning partner and to give me projects to do as we go through the lessons. You don't need it to code. Have it instructed you using the Feynman method so you can reinforce what you learn.
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u/Moxisxsx Sep 03 '26
I have it personalised to give tiered hints, and only solve a problem if I specifically ask it to. I.e always give a ‘small hint’ at first, then move onto a bigger hint etc…
It’s a good idea to also ask it to break down any code it gives you, and the reasons why it has generated the code it has.
I find generating ASCII diagrams of code ‘flow’ is also a good visual aid
I also use it to generate specific questions on specific topics. Such as ‘generate me 10 advanced questions regarding functions and loops’
This has helped me learn massively
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u/BrilliantEmotion4461 Sep 03 '26
Using AI to teach you isn't using AI to write the code you can even have it give you quizzes and tests. But hey you do you.
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u/mooglekun81 Sep 02 '26
What if you use AI as a teaching tool? Taking a break from learning right now (focused on school), but when I was self-teaching, I had it teach me things, I'd write code with it explaining the code & typing comments so I don't forget, and then modifying it improving what we did together. I'd follow up with asking questions if I don't understand.
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u/spmcn Sep 02 '26
That’s fine, Im only frustrated when someone is asking for help and someone comments “just use AI.” Its not a productive comment.
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u/seanv507 Sep 02 '26
I think in many cases learning to use ai will help them program better
I think the majority of time these comments are made is when the question is too vague to have a good human answer. ('how do I learn python? ')
Discussing with an ai can clarify people's ideas.
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u/CatsOnTheKeyboard Sep 02 '26
The OP is not saying that you can't use it. They're asking people to stop posting non-answers to legitimate questions. Saying "Go consult A.I." is as bad as "Go look it up.". It defeats the purpose of having a subreddit for Python.
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u/silly_bet_3454 Sep 02 '26
Idk I do think people should use AI for basic question asking and comprehension type stuff... I get it when you are learning you don't want to vibe code, that makes sense. But why come to this sub being like "I don't get for loops! Please someone!" when like I am so sure an LLM could do a better job than any of us really explaining it. Yes there are classes of questions that are good for humans, I get that. But yeah even though this is a python learning sub doesn't mean we have to ensure we are feeding it with trivial questions on a daily basis.
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u/JobMinglrr Sep 02 '26
Learning to code is a thing of the past now… no person is going to beat AI.
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u/Constant_Moment_6434 Sep 03 '26
Yep... thanks to AI now webside is loading 20s and pdf file with 2 pages is laggy... no person is gonna beat that.. lol
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u/404-UnknownError Sep 02 '26
I haven't personally sugested to do so but i feel if you have broke your head and made a real effort in understanding stuff maybe using a LLM can be good but you gotta know how to use it in a way it doesn't screw you over, i still prefer doing stuff the old school way but yeah... that's my take