I shared a Bash script in a group chat with some friends who also work in IT.

Nothing major. Just a small script I was working on as part of my Linux and Bash learning.

One of them asked, “Why don’t you just use Claude to write the code for you?”

Fair question.

Honestly, AI probably could have written it faster. Maybe cleaner too.

And I do use AI. I use ChatGPT to help me build my learning plan, organize what to study, and even suggest which book might be the best fit for a topic. I still use Stack Overflow, Server Fault, documentation, and whatever else helps me understand the problem better.

So this is not really about refusing help.

I have always looked things up. Most of us in IT have. We read documentation, search forums, copy examples, test commands, break things, fix things, and slowly figure out what is actually going on.

And yes, I have been hit hard on Stack Overflow before for asking a question that was apparently too noob, or for not researching enough before posting.

Fair enough. Sometimes the criticism is deserved. Sometimes you really should read more, test more, and search harder before asking.

But let’s be honest too. Some folks there are just plain assholes.

Anyone who has asked a “simple” question online probably knows that feeling. Sometimes you are just trying to learn, and instead of getting help, you get reminded that the internet can be brutal.

Maybe that is why AI feels different.

It can answer without the attitude. It can explain something ten different ways. It can help you get unstuck without making you feel dumb for asking.

That part is valuable.

But even with that, I still do not want AI to do the whole thing for me.

I am far from being a Linux or Bash expert. That is actually why I do not want to skip the process.

When I write the script myself, I have to slow down and ask basic questions.

What does this command actually do?

Why am I using this variable?

What happens if the file does not exist?

What happens if the permission is wrong?

What happens if I run this on the wrong directory?

Those are the parts I want to understand.

Maybe that makes me slower. Maybe it even makes me look a little behind, especially now that AI can generate working code in seconds.

But I am okay with that.

For me, the goal is not just to have a finished script. The goal is to take it apart and learn how it ticks.

AI can help me get unstuck. It can explain things. It can point me in the right direction. It can help me clean up what I wrote.

But I still want my hands on the keyboard.

I still want to type it, break it, fix it, and learn from it.

Because in IT, running something you do not understand can create real problems.

So yes, I use AI.

But I am trying to use it as a learning tool, not as a replacement for learning.

Maybe AI gives the answer faster.

But doing the work helps the answer stick.