A small lesson of using AI

This blog was built from scratch in a few days. Previously, Next.js was used, and it was built with AI at that time. I basically don’t know front-end development. AI did it all. I just made some simple adjustments, but after a while, I forgot how to launch it. Coupled with Next.js’s security issues some time ago, I simply switched to Hugo. The most important thing is that Cloudflare’s CDN supports Hugo, so no extra configuration is needed; you can directly upload the entire project. It can be said to be very convenient. However, the problem was that I hadn’t played much with Hugo. Fortunately, there was AI, but there were also some minor hitches in between, and I have some thoughts to share.

It took about three days in total, but with AI, it was done very quickly. It went online very quickly. It was basically done in a short while. At that time, I exclaimed that Sonnet 4 is truly powerful. Because I remember at that time, with just a few simple sentences, it thought of many things for me, and with just a few words, it basically brought out everything I hadn’t thought of. I felt quite amazed at that time. So, it went online immediately. This is where a pitfall was laid.

Firstly, I was not familiar with Hugo’s configuration. This was fine; the main issue was theme customization. The configuration files are relatively easy to understand. But theme customization was a bit troublesome. Sonnet is very powerful and quickly completed the initial work. However, when I wanted to modify some details a week later, I found that after several rounds of dialogue, I always couldn’t get it right. There were problems every time, and they were different each time. The entire morning was very frustrating. When I was close to giving up, I decided to look at the theme documentation myself. At this point, I was actually a bit tired. I found the documentation and just left it there.

Here, I actually made several mistakes. First, I did not record the process, meaning I did not use a memory bank to record the process. This led to all the processes and detailed considerations being lost when I started again. Of course, I could have found the previous conversation context, which might have helped, but I didn’t think of that at the time. If there was a memory bank, I could have started directly and avoided conversations that were completely off-topic for a long time. Second, I was too careless, always thinking that this was a simple blog, and AI should have no problem. As a result, I wasted time and tokens for nothing. Third, I did not prepare well and just jumped right in. Actually, I should have first looked at the documentation to understand the theme’s configuration and customization methods. This would have saved a lot of detours. You cannot rely entirely on AI. AI is a tool and cannot completely replace humans. People still need to have their own thinking and preparation.

After waking up this morning, I briefly looked at the documentation. I still rushed into it. After three or four rounds, I gradually understood the pattern. Finally, after one failure, I went directly back to the original configuration file, used the default theme, and once all the basic configurations were done and everything was working normally, I gradually started customization. Each time, I tackled a small function, and then committed it promptly. I quickly got the effect I wanted. The process was still very smooth.

Here are some experiences I summarized during this process:

  1. Record the process: Use a memory bank to record conversations and processes, so you can quickly review when needed and avoid repetitive work.

  2. Understand the tool: Before using a new tool or framework, first read the relevant documentation to understand its basic configuration and customization methods.

  3. Proceed step by step: Do not rush for success. Start with the most basic configuration and gradually add functions and customization. This can reduce errors and frustration.

  4. Moderate reliance on AI: AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot be completely relied upon. Human thinking and preparation are still indispensable.

  5. Clear goals: Before starting, clarify your goals and needs, so you can use AI and other tools more effectively.

Especially the second point, “vibe coding” is very popular now. With powerful AI tools, some people feel empowered, while others do not feel a significant improvement. In fact, at this point, the demands on people are higher. People need to have better thinking and preparation to make better use of AI tools. AI is an auxiliary tool, not a universal solution. In fact, the problem-solving methodology has not changed. The process of solving problems is still the same as before; it’s just that with the assistance of AI, the efficiency is higher. First, you still need to understand the problem, know yourself and your opponent. The deeper your understanding of the problem and the more thorough your preparation, the higher your efficiency. So, there must be input, then thinking and expression, and the output and execution can be handed over to AI. I often think, if AI improves everyone’s efficiency, it also widens the gap between more excellent people and ordinary people.

I hope everyone becomes more comfortable using AI.