Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit. 10+ years in marketing and data.

#myjourney #myfamily #health #cognition #philosophy #digital #artificialintelligence #darkness #security #finance #politics #banskabystrica #carpathians

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Richard Golian

Hi, I am Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories — and what I am working on. I hope this article brings you some value.

AI's Unexpected Role in Enhancing My Coding Skills

ChatGPT as SQL coding mentor

By Richard Golian

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I Was Wrong

When I first started using ChatGPT for SQL queries, I was blown away by how it transformed hours-long tasks into mere minutes of processing. However, This staggering efficiency brought an unexpected quandary—did I still need to improve my skills if AI could outperform me so dramatically? Initially, I saw little reason to compete against such precision. Yet, this was a fundamental misunderstanding on my part. As I integrated AI more deeply into my work, I discovered its value not just in handling tasks but in significantly enhancing my coding abilities by pushing the boundaries of what I thought possible.

Exploring the Depths of SQL with AI

ChatGPT became more than a tool; it became a mentor. As I tasked it with more complex queries, each solution it provided was not only a completed task but also a lesson in advanced SQL. This AI did not just do the work—it illuminated paths I had not even considered, turning complex data manipulation and optimisation techniques into understandable, approachable concepts.

Today, my ability to leverage advanced SQL functionalities is intricately tied to my deepened understanding of the code that AI generates. ChatGPT is instrumental in this process; it deconstructs each code line, explaining its rationale and strategy. This is not just about following steps; it is about grasping the underlying principles that make those steps effective.

Now, as I deal with more complex queries involving elaborate conditions and data filtering that require high computational effort, ChatGPT also proves invaluable from another point of view. It optimises code to ease server load and explains every step, helping me understand this area. This allows me to handle previously daunting complex tasks and equips me with the knowledge to instruct AI more effectively in the future.

Looking back on the path from doubt to reliance, I am amazed at how my perspective on AI has transformed. What began as a tool to expedite mundane tasks has blossomed into a crucial element of my professional development, pushing me to learn and adapt at an unprecedented pace.

Summary

I thought improving my coding skills was pointless when AI could do it faster. I was wrong. AI did not replace my learning — it accelerated it. Line by line, it explained approaches I had not considered. It became the best mentor I never had.
Richard Golian

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.

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Common questions on this article's topic

Can AI actually help you become a better programmer?
Yes. In the article, what began as using ChatGPT to complete SQL tasks faster evolved into a deeper understanding of the code itself. Each solution the AI provided was not just a completed task but a lesson — it deconstructed code line by line, explaining the rationale behind each step. Research from the 2023 ACM Conference on Computing Education confirmed that ChatGPT can function as a collaborative mentor that helps developers reason, debug, and grow.
How does AI serve as a coding mentor?
In the article, ChatGPT is described as illuminating paths that had not been considered — turning complex data manipulation and optimisation techniques into understandable concepts. Rather than simply delivering answers, it explained why specific approaches work, what trade-offs exist, and how to think about the problem differently. This transformed AI from a shortcut into a teaching tool.
Is it worth learning to code if AI can write code for you?
The article argues yes — and that this was a fundamental misunderstanding corrected through experience. Initial skepticism that there was little reason to compete with AI gave way to the realisation that understanding code is what allows you to instruct AI more effectively. The deeper your knowledge, the better questions you can ask and the more complex problems you can solve together.
Can AI help with SQL query optimisation?
In the article, AI proved invaluable for optimising complex queries that require high computational effort. It not only rewrote queries to reduce server load but explained every optimisation step — helping build understanding of performance principles like indexing, filtering logic, and computational efficiency. This made previously daunting tasks approachable.
How has the perception of AI among developers changed?
In the article, the shift went from seeing AI as a threat to motivation to recognising it as the best mentor available. What began as doubt — why improve skills if AI outperforms you — became appreciation for how AI accelerates learning. The key insight is that AI does not replace the need for understanding; it compresses the time required to gain it.
What is the relationship between AI assistance and professional growth?
In the article, AI is described as pushing professional development at an unprecedented pace. The combination of AI handling routine complexity while explaining its reasoning creates a feedback loop: each interaction deepens understanding, which enables more sophisticated questions, which leads to more advanced solutions. The result is growth that would have taken much longer through traditional learning alone.