New junior developers rely heavily on AI tools like Copilot for coding, producing functional code quickly, but often lack deep understanding of the underlying principles. They struggle to explain why their solutions work or to consider edge cases, indicating a loss of foundational knowledge. Unlike previous generations who engaged with resources like Stack Overflow, current practices favor quick fixes over thorough learning. To address this, developers should adopt a learning mindset with AI, engage in meaningful discussions, enhance code reviews to emphasize understanding, and build projects from scratch to deepen their knowledge. The challenge is to balance efficiency gained through AI with the necessity of solid coding fundamentals.
New Junior Developers Can’t Actually Code
