The programmer as architect: how I use AI in development
I use AI tools to develop faster and keep prices down. What I use them for, what I do not, and how I make sure the result is secure and stable.
AI tools can now write in seconds code that used to take a developer an hour. That changes my work, but not my responsibility. Here is how I use AI and where its limits are.
AI-assisted, not "vibe coding"
"Vibe coding" means letting an AI generate code until the result seems to work, without understanding it yourself. That may do for a weekend prototype. It does not do for a shop that processes payments, or a tool your staff use every day.
I work differently: I decide how a solution is built, and AI helps me implement it faster. I read, understand and test every change before it goes live. What I cannot explain does not go into your system.
What I use AI for
- Routine work: repetitive code, data models, forms, imports and exports
- Tests: writing test cases and finding edge cases I might not have thought of
- Getting up to speed: understanding unfamiliar or old code faster, for example in a Magento shop that has grown over the years
- Second opinion: having code checked for bugs and security issues, in addition to my own review
- Documentation: descriptions and guides that I then check
What stays with me
- Architecture: how data flows, which systems are connected, what needs to be extensible later
- Security: access rights, handling of customer data, input validation, dependencies. Here I do not rely on suggestions but on experience and established rules.
- Review and release: code review, tests, staging, go-live
- Talking to you: understanding which problem actually needs solving
What you get out of it
With AI I am considerably faster than without. I pass that time saving on through my prices: an internal tool or an automation that used not to pay off for a small business often becomes affordable. At the same time, the standard I have applied to my work for more than 15 years still holds: software should be secure, run reliably and still be maintainable in a few years.
I do not pass your data to AI services without control. I only work with customer data from your systems in the way we have agreed beforehand.
If you have a project in mind, write to me.