This is a summary of a video I published on YouTube. You can click on the link below to watch the full video.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the problem: developers are treating AI like it\u2019s free. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s just been underpriced.<\/p>\n
For the last couple of years, AI companies have been quietly subsidizing usage. Cheap tokens, generous limits, lots of experimentation. That phase is ending. Prices are starting to creep up, and some companies are already getting hit hard. Uber reportedly burned through its entire AI budget in months.<\/p>\n
This is what always happens. New tech shows up, people overuse it, misuse it, and spend money in all the wrong places. Then reality kicks in.<\/p>\n
The mistake isn\u2019t using AI. The mistake is using it blindly.<\/p>\n
Developers are throwing massive prompts at top-tier models for everything, even when a cheaper or smaller model would do the job just fine. That\u2019s like renting a Ferrari to drive to the grocery store. It works, but it\u2019s wasteful.<\/p>\n
As token prices rise, sloppy usage becomes expensive fast.<\/strong> What felt like a harmless habit suddenly turns into a real budget problem.<\/p>\n This pressure is going to force a change in behavior, whether people like it or not.<\/p>\n We\u2019re going to see more developers move toward:<\/p>\n Local models aren\u2019t perfect, but they\u2019re getting good enough. And \u201cgood enough\u201d is often all you need when you understand what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t new. Strong developers have always worked this way.<\/p>\n You choose tools based on constraints. Cost, performance, speed, complexity. There\u2019s no \u201cbest\u201d option, only the right one for the situation.<\/p>\n AI is no different. You need to decide:<\/p>\n This is where beginners fall apart.<\/strong> They chase the best output every time instead of the most sensible solution.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a bigger point here that a lot of people are missing.<\/p>\n AI is just another abstraction layer. Like frameworks before it, it reduces the amount of code you write. But it doesn\u2019t replace understanding.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t understand systems, workflows, and basic architecture, you\u2019ll use AI poorly. You\u2019ll over-prompt, overpay, and build fragile solutions.<\/p>\nThe Shift That\u2019s Already Happening<\/h4>\n
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Good Developers Think in Tradeoffs<\/h4>\n
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AI Doesn\u2019t Replace Judgment<\/h4>\n