11 Aug 2026 I recently stepped away from AI for a few weeks. Coming back, I’m more aware of the unhealthy habits I’d formed using it. It was an end-of-summer vacation, and I was lucky to be swimming in cold rivers, eating one too many s’mores, napping after lunch, etc. There was a lot of indulgence and a break from work and routines. For much of the time it was a break from my laptop and phone altogether, which meant a few weeks without AI. I didn’t miss it. What I’ve realized these past few days back is how much of my AI use was unnecessary. In fact, I think it’s often been a habit-forming crutch making me intellectually weaker, less curious, and less confident. It’s probably made me a little depressed too. When I eventually opened my laptop a few days ago, I was greeted with eleven cmux tabs, each with multiple agents paused midway through various efforts. Some professional, some personal, and a lot in between.…