Using ChatGPT Chat Is Not "Using AI": Level Up Your Skills

I hear it all the time: "Yeah, I use AI—I ask ChatGPT stuff sometimes."

That's like saying you "use the internet" because you check your email. You're touching the surface of something vast and missing the depths entirely.

The Levels of AI Usage

Let me break down what AI proficiency actually looks like:

Level 1: Casual Chat (Where most people stop)

• Ask random questions
• Get general answers
• Copy-paste occasionally

Level 2: Intentional Assistance

• Specific coding questions with context
• Code review requests
• Explanation of concepts

Level 3: Workflow Integration

• AI in your IDE
• Automated code generation
• Systematic debugging assistance

Level 4: AI-Native Development

• Agentic workflows
• Custom instructions and personas
• Multi-model strategies

Most developers never get past Level 1. Let's change that.

What You're Missing

1. Context is Everything

Bad prompt:

How do I handle errors in JavaScript?

Good prompt:

I'm building a Next.js 14 app with TypeScript. I have an async
function that fetches user data from our REST API. I need to
handle network errors, 4xx responses, and 5xx responses differently,
showing appropriate UI feedback for each. Here's my current code:

[paste actual code]

What's the best approach?

The difference in output quality is night and day.

2. IDE Integration Changes Everything

Chatting with AI in a browser is slow. AI in your editor is fast.

// With GitHub Copilot or Cursor:
// I type a comment, hit tab, and get this

// Function to calculate the Levenshtein distance between two strings
const levenshtein = (a: string, b: string): number => {
  const matrix: number[][] = [];

  for (let i = 0; i <= b.length; i++) {
    matrix[i] = [i];
  }

  for (let j = 0; j <= a.length; j++) {
    matrix[0][j] = j;
  }

  for (let i = 1; i <= b.length; i++) {
    for (let j = 1; j <= a.length; j++) {
      if (b[i - 1] === a[j - 1]) {
        matrix[i][j] = matrix[i - 1][j - 1];
      } else {
        matrix[i][j] = Math.min(
          matrix[i - 1][j - 1] + 1,
          matrix[i][j - 1] + 1,
          matrix[i - 1][j] + 1
        );
      }
    }
  }

  return matrix[b.length][a.length];
};

// Generated in seconds. Would have taken me 15 minutes to write and test.

3. Custom Instructions Are Powerful

You can tell AI how to behave permanently:

You are helping a senior full-stack developer who:
- Uses TypeScript, React, Next.js, and Node.js
- Prefers functional programming patterns
- Wants concise answers with code examples
- Cares about performance and accessibility
- Uses pnpm as package manager

Always suggest the modern approach unless asked otherwise.
Skip basic explanations unless I ask for them.

Now every conversation starts with this context.

4. Multi-Turn Problem Solving

Don't just ask one question. Have a conversation:

1. "Here's my problem..."
2. "That approach won't work because..."
3. "What if we tried..."
4. "Now let's optimize..."
5. "Add tests for edge cases..."

Each turn builds on the last. The final solution is better than any single response.

Tools You Should Know

| Tool | Best For | Level | |------|----------|-------| | ChatGPT/Claude Chat | Quick questions | 1-2 | | GitHub Copilot | Code completion | 3 | | Cursor | AI-native IDE | 3-4 | | Claude Code | CLI development | 4 | | Custom GPTs | Specialized tasks | 4 | | n8n + AI | Automated workflows | 4 |

Your Upgrade Path

This Week

1. Install an AI coding extension in your IDE
2. Set up custom instructions in ChatGPT/Claude
3. Practice writing detailed prompts

This Month

1. Try at least 3 different AI tools
2. Build one small project with heavy AI assistance
3. Find your optimal workflow

This Quarter

1. Integrate AI into your daily routine
2. Experiment with automation (n8n + AI)
3. Share what you learn

The Prompt Engineering Mindset

Stop thinking of prompts as questions. Think of them as:

• Specifications: What exactly do you need?
• Context packages: What does AI need to know?
• Collaboration invitations: How can AI help you think?

# Great Prompt Template

## Context
What I'm building, tech stack, constraints

## Current State
What I have now, what's working, what's not

## Goal
Specific outcome I want

## Preferences
Style, approach, trade-offs I care about

The Bottom Line

Casual ChatGPT usage is like using a supercomputer to send emails. It works, but you're missing the point.

The developers who will dominate the next decade are learning to think with AI, not just ask it questions.

Which category do you want to be in?

---

Want specific recommendations for your workflow? Tell me your stack and I'll share what works.