6. Don't Use Code You Don't Understand
AI makes copy-pasting code easier than ever. Why pasting code you don't understand into production is a risk — and how to use AI wisely instead.
With the rise of AI, this tile of wisdom is more relevant than ever.
More and more, I see developers copy-pasting code from AI tools (or back in the day, StackOverflow) directly into their projects — without truly understanding what the code does. "But it works, right?" is the usual justification. ✅
For a quick test or proof of concept, you might get away with it. But once that code makes it to production, you're taking serious risks ⚠️. The code might behave unpredictably, break unexpectedly, or — even worse — introduce security vulnerabilities. And if a small change is needed, you'll likely get stuck because you have no clue what's going on under the hood.
Besides the risks: you're not learning anything. If you blindly copy code, you're outsourcing your thinking — and missing a chance to grow.
Don't get me wrong — I'm all for using AI in development. In fact, it's a fantastic accelerator. But use it wisely. Think of AI as a clever teammate 🧑💻 — helpful, but still worth checking.
🧠 So by all means, copy code. Just read it, understand it, and learn from it before you hit "commit".
💬 Curious how to level up your team's code quality while still benefiting from the speed of AI? Let's talk. I help companies build future-proof frontends and development teams that know what they're doing — and why.
📌 This is part of my weekly series, Developers Tiles of Wisdom. Follow me for more insights on writing better code and building better teams.
💬 What's your take on this? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
