Critical Thinking Habits for Coding with AI

Many developers and teams are discovering a frustrating paradox: AI tools that promise to accelerate development are creating unexpected challenges. Vibe coding—the rapid, improvisational prompting that feels so productive—delivers quick wins but can also lead to technical debt, subtle bugs, and maintenance headaches. Experienced developers get caught in rehash loops where AI keeps circling flawed solutions, while new developers face the "cognitive shortcut paradox" that prevents them from building critical thinking skills.