Writer and former software developer Wendy Liu reflects on her long-standing resistance to artificial intelligence tools, arguing that the struggle involved in learning, coding and writing is essential to human growth.

Drawing from her own experience teaching herself web development in the mid-2000s, she explains that the slow and often frustrating process of debugging and experimentation helped her develop problem-solving skills, curiosity and intellectual independence.

She compares this to today’s environment, where AI systems such as coding assistants and large language models can instantly generate software or written content with minimal effort from users.

Liu argues that writing and programming are not merely about producing efficient outputs, but about shaping thought, values and personal understanding.

She warns that the growing reliance on AI tools risks encouraging “cognitive offloading”, where people gradually outsource critical thinking and creativity to machines.

According to her, this trend is especially concerning for younger generations who may come to see technology as an opaque system controlled by powerful corporations rather than something they can understand or shape themselves.

The article also criticises the broader AI industry, describing it as heavily driven by corporate power, financial speculation and increasing inequality.

Liu points to mass redundancies in the tech sector, massive investments in datacentres, environmental concerns and the normalisation of AI-generated content across daily life.

While acknowledging that avoiding AI makes her less efficient as both a coder and writer, she believes the trade-off is worthwhile because it preserves her sense of humanity, intentionality and independence.Ultimately, she presents resistance to AI overuse as both a personal and political choice aimed at protecting human cognition and autonomy.