Re: I Use AI When I Code. And Sometimes It Makes Me Feel Like I'm Cheating

11 Nov 2025 #coding

Is using AI cheating?

That’s a point Christoffer Madsen made in a recent post on dev.to:

I use AI when I code. I don’t hide that. But I also don’t really talk about it. Because sometimes it feels like cheating.

That made me think:

If I copy-paste from StackOverflow, am I cheating?

If I use an open-source library, am I cheating?

If I ask for help, does that count as cheating?

We do those tasks daily. Maybe not always copy-pasting from StackOverflow.

Where’s the line?

When isn’t using AI cheating? It feels like cheating when AI takes full control and writes code we wouldn’t write ourselves.

I do use AI too: to generate boilerplate code and offload boring tasks. That’s where AI shines. But I stay in control, hands firmly on the wheel.

With or without AI, we’re paid to solve problems, not just to write code. If we only turn user stories or specs into lines of code, AI will eat us all alive.

When AI generates code faster than any of us, it’s time to double down on collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. Those skills make us stand out as coders. That’s why I wrote, Street-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding Without Losing Your Mind. Because being a great coder is more than just mastering syntax.

Grab your copy of Street-Smart Coding here. It’s the roadmap I wish I had moving from junior to senior and the one I hope helps you too.