There's a lot of noise about AI replacing developers. Having used AI coding tools extensively for the past two years — on real client projects, not toy demos — I can tell you: AI doesn't replace engineering judgment. It amplifies it.
Where AI Actually Helps
Boilerplate generation. Setting up a new FastAPI router with CRUD endpoints, Pydantic schemas, and database models? AI handles this in seconds. It's not creative work — it's pattern application, and AI is excellent at patterns.
Code review and bug detection. I routinely ask AI to review my code for edge cases, security issues, and performance problems. It catches things I miss — not because it's smarter, but because it doesn't get tired or develop blind spots.
Documentation and explanation. When I inherit a legacy codebase, AI can quickly explain what unfamiliar code does, identify architectural patterns, and suggest where to start making changes.
Test generation. Given a function, AI can generate comprehensive test cases including edge cases I might not think of — null inputs, boundary values, concurrent access scenarios.
Where AI Falls Short
Architecture decisions. AI can suggest patterns, but it doesn't understand your business context, team capabilities, or operational constraints. Choosing between a monolith and microservices requires judgment that AI can't provide.
Debugging complex issues. AI can help narrow down a bug, but when the issue spans multiple services, involves race conditions, or depends on production-specific configuration, there's no substitute for systematic debugging by an experienced engineer.
Knowing what to build. The hardest part of software engineering isn't writing code — it's deciding what code to write. AI can help you build faster, but it can't tell you whether you're building the right thing.
My Daily Workflow
I use AI as a pair programmer with specific strengths. My typical day involves:
- Morning: Use AI to scaffold new features — models, endpoints, basic tests
- Midday: Write the complex business logic myself, then ask AI to review it
- Afternoon: Use AI to generate documentation, write migration scripts, and handle repetitive refactoring
The result: I ship roughly 2x faster than I did two years ago, with fewer bugs and better documentation. Not because AI writes my code — but because it handles the parts that don't require my judgment, freeing me to focus on the parts that do.