I've been coding for 15 years but I find I'm able to learn new languages and concepts faster by asking questions to ChatGPT.
It takes discipline. I have to turn off cursor tab when doing coding exercises. I have to take the time to ask questions and follow-up questions.
But yes I worry it's too easy to use AI as a crutch
I've been coding for decades already, but if I need to put something together in an unfamiliar language? I can just ask AI about any stupid noob mistake I make.
It knows every single stupid noob mistake, it knows every "how do I sort an array", and it explains well, with examples. Like StackOverflow on steroids.
The caveat is that you need to WANT to learn. If you don't, then not learning is easier than ever too.
So you aren’t still learning foundational concepts or how to think about problems, you are using it as a translation tool. Very different, in my opinion.