Are you doomed learning coding in the AI era?

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

I pity all those learning to code post‑ChatGPT.
”They’ll never know the feeling of finally solving a problem after going at it for 24 hours.” I hear this sentiment a lot, and honestly, I get it. The dopamine hit from solving a problem that has held you down for days is crazy good—sometimes you still won’t know why it finally worked. It felt like earning your stripes, a brain massage if you will.

The Changing Landscape of Learning to Code

That said, I can’t help but think some of us want to live in the past. Isn’t what we have now objectively better? I know the application of AI is mostly flawed, especially in the school system, but let’s assume it’s being used wisely.

We used to spend hours just to realize we missed a semicolon (I do not miss this specifically). That wasn’t problem‑solving; it was just a syntax bump. You can still have the pleasure of finishing your projects, but if it takes you too little effort and time, it’s not the same thing—you won’t get the same hit.

AI’s Impact on the Coding Bar

These days, with AI I always tell people the bar has gotten higher, and simple projects are not going to cut it. Whether it’s the dopamine hit or the professional space, the bar is very high. We aren’t coding just to debug; we are coding to build. If AI lets new learners skip the frustration and get straight to shipping, I’ll take that trade every time.

Reflection

For anyone who shares the nostalgic sentiment: do you really pity them, or are you angry they have it easier? I’d like to hear what you think in the comments.