Welcome to a new season of the Building Better Developers podcast! Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche return with a fresh twist—this time, they’re putting artificial intelligence in the co-pilot seat. In Season 25, titled “Building Better Developers with AI,” the team explores how AI can shape, support, and sometimes challenge the development journey. Whether you’re AI-curious or just trying to keep up, this season promises something for every mid-level developer looking to grow.
Why Start a Season on Building Better Developers with AI?
As Rob explains in the episode opener, the idea for the season was sparked by a playful experiment: using ChatGPT to generate potential season topics. What started as a brainstorming tool quickly turned into something bigger.
“Let’s actually use AI to shape the season—ask it what topics we should cover and see where it leads.”
AI suggested several solid themes, many of which the podcast had tackled before—security, dev tools, career development—but what stood out was the AI’s suggestion itself: a season dedicated to AI for developers.
“AI for the Rest of Us”: A New Way to Build Better Developers
The team quickly aligned on a theme: AI for the Rest of Us. It’s not about diving into PhD-level machine learning models. Instead, this season will focus on making AI practical, accessible, and even a little fun.
Callout:
🧠 “No math hats, no buzzword fatigue. Just real talk about how developers like you can start using AI today.”
The tone is set: casual, educational, and aimed squarely at mid-level developers who are AI novices. You’ll get hands-on insights, helpful examples, and real-world scenarios—without drowning in jargon.
Episode 1 Recap: What is AI Really?
The season’s kickoff episode breaks down the basics of AI in plain English. Rob and Michael highlight the difference between AI, machine learning, and deep learning, using helpful analogies like:
- Traditional code = a recipe
- AI = a chef who figures out the recipe by tasting the dish
They also explore how AI already shows up in daily dev life—autocomplete, spam filters, Netflix recommendations—and how it’s not a sci-fi robot sent to take your job.
Using AI to Help You Become a Better Developer
One of the most relatable parts of the discussion? Prompting AI.
Michael describes it perfectly: “It’s like training Dragon NaturallySpeaking—you have to teach it how you think.” And Rob adds that AI is training you right back, forcing you to clarify your logic and expectations.
Of course, they also call out the traps: circular responses, hallucinated facts, or confusing code suggestions. That’s where the human developer still shines—you have to know enough to spot when something’s off.
“This season’s focus on Building Better Developers with AI is designed to bridge the gap between curiosity and confidence for mid-level developers.”
Avoiding Pitfalls While Building Better Developers with AI
Michael reminds listeners that AI-generated code is not gospel. If you’re grabbing command-line scripts or security-related suggestions:
🔥 “Don’t blindly copy and paste. Test, research, and verify—AI is smart, but it’s not foolproof.”
Even reputable sources have typos. Think of AI as a helpful assistant—not a replacement for your own judgment.
Rob reinforces this: “You still need to understand what you’re solving. AI can help, but it can’t think for you.”
AI Tools That Help Developers Build Smarter, Not Harder
As the episode wraps, Rob and Michael commit to a unique experiment: use AI to revisit past topics from earlier seasons and see how it responds. Think of it as “season replays—with AI commentary.” The plan? Re-explore core themes and challenges, but now with AI in the conversation.
It’s a brilliant blend of retrospection and innovation—and a perfect way to highlight how Building Better Developers with AI can evolve the development journey.
Final Thoughts
Season 25 is shaping up to be equal parts enlightening and entertaining. Whether you’re testing your first prompt, integrating ChatGPT into your dev flow, or just curious about what all the buzz is about, “Building Better Developers with AI” is your safe, informative, and occasionally hilarious entry point into the world of artificial intelligence for developers.
Stay tuned, and remember: AI might be smart, but developers still rule the keyboard.
Final Thoughts
Season 25 is shaping up to be equal parts enlightening and entertaining. Whether you’re testing your first prompt, integrating ChatGPT into your dev flow, or just curious about what all the buzz is about, “Building Better Developers with AI” is your safe, informative, and occasionally hilarious entry point into the world of artificial intelligence for developers.
Stay tuned, and remember: AI might be smart, but developers still rule the keyboard.
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