Relying solely on AI to write code doesn’t work out smoothly for a very simple reason: a fundamental lack of understanding regarding code structure.
If you don't know how functions, classes, and dependencies work, don't fully comprehend what the AI wrote or used previously, can't recall your own filenames, or understand the underlying logic, giving standard prompts to an AI is a massive mistake.
The Reality of API Costs and Technical Debt
Recently, due to issues purchasing Claude Pro, a poor initial model, and time constraints, I resorted to using Sonnet 4.6 via API.
Since the project has grown quite large and accumulated significant technical debt, the entire structure needs re-analysis. Even with a good context file (.md) prepared for code intelligence, simply giving one prompt and hitting 'Act' once cost me $10.
This highlights the hidden costs of relying on AI when projects scale and context becomes complex.
The Broad Prompt Trap
When you don't know programming terms or specific usage, your prompts become too broad. This leads to tokens being wasted unnecessarily, almost like making a donation to the API provider.
Even if you are extremely fluent in English, programming skills are a different language entirely. If your skills are insufficient, there will be constant misunderstandings between you and the AI. Misaligned code piles up, and the further you try to push forward, the harder you will have to struggle, and the deeper you will sink.
AI Courses vs. Actual Engineering
This is why I strongly advise those outside the programming world not to rush blindly into courses claiming you can launch software with AI alone.
Just because AI can generate code snippets, connect backends, or chat with databases doesn't automatically make you a Developer. If you are just writing simple portfolio sites or basic pages, that's one thing. Building robust, scalable software is another.
If you genuinely want to build applications, there is no shortcut: you absolutely must study coding. I am currently taking coding classes myself, and even then, it is not all that easy. Don't rely on the AI to do the thinking for you.