How do you use AI in your day-to-day workflow as a software engineer?

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I use AI in different ways depending on the stage in a project. Early on I may use it to identify existing patterns or components that may be usef

ul. I often will use AI to develop an implementation plan and an initial set of unit tests. While writing code, I use AI as my typist to rapidly implement the code in a progressive, verifiable way. Finally I always use AI as a first code review step, along side my own inspection. It's taken a lot of practice to learn to use AI tools effectively, but that effort has paid off in terms of increased productivity.

Tell me about a project you built that incorporated AI features.

I worked on an internal tool where AI helped summarize and cluster incident reports so teams could spot recurring issues faster. Instead of acting on the output directly, we treated it as decision support, and engineers validated patterns before taking action. We evaluated success by whether it reduced triage time and whether teams actually trusted and used the summaries.

I worked on an internal tool where AI helped summarize and cluster incident reports so on-call engineers could spot recurring issues faster. I owned the integration and feedback loop, and we treated the AI strictly as decision support, with engineers validating patterns before acting. We evaluated success by reduced triage time and adoption, and we were careful to limit use cases early on where incorrect clustering could have caused noise.

What principles guide how you use AI in your work as a software engineer?

I think of AI as a tool to reduce low-leverage work, not a replacement for judgment. In practice, that means I use it to explore ideas or speed up routine tasks, but I stay accountable for correctness and decisions, especially in user-facing or sensitive areas. I’m intentionally experimenting while being clear about where human review is required.

My main principle is to use AI to support learning and efficiency without outsourcing understanding. I’ll use it to get unstuck or explore alternatives, but I validate everything and avoid relying on it in places where mistakes would be costly. I’m still learning, but I’m deliberate about how I adopt it.