How can I reduce dependence on AI?

Short explanation:

Reducing AI dependence means being able to understand, test and change a solution without treating generated output as authority. Use AI as a source of candidate ideas, then establish correctness through your own reasoning and evidence. The goal is independent judgment, not avoiding useful tools entirely.

Key points:

• Try a small problem yourself before looking at the answer.

• Explain each line and test failure cases.

• Rewrite the solution without copying it.

• After reading an answer, close it and explain the code, failure cases and alternatives from memory.

Interview point:

• You should be able to defend the final implementation even if you did not type every original line yourself.