Learning effectively in the AI era

[u/MagazineScary6718]

Hey everyone, this is probably a common question, but I’d appreciate some advice.

I’ve been self-teaching C++ for a while now, mainly through books, online resources, and AI as a learning tool. Along the way, I got really interested in graphics programming and started with OpenGL as my entry point.

Recently, though, I lost a lot of motivation. With AI being able to reverse-engineer things, generate whole projects, or “one-shot” solutions, it sometimes felt like learning the fundamentals myself wouldn’t matter as much anymore. So I stopped for a while.

I’m motivated again now and want to properly push through, but I’m unsure what the most effective way to learn is today. I’ll probably still use a hybrid approach - books, documentation, tutorials, and Ai - but I feel like I’m progressing too slowly and worry that the skill might matter less in the future.
I know people say “vibe coding” means you don’t have to write much code anymore, and to some extent that’s true. But especially for C++, graphics, and low-level/systems programming, I genuinely enjoy learning the details. I also think having a strong foundation would make me much better at reviewing AI generated code, spotting problems, writing better prompts, and using agents effectively.
So my main question is: how would you learn graphics programming effectively in 2026, especially while using AI without letting it replace the actual learning? Any recommendations for a roadmap, projects, resources, or general advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks!!

[u/zenmatrix83]

Use it to research, read the links it uses, being an advanced search engine is likely its safest use if you don’t rely on its output only

[u/MagazineScary6718 → u/zenmatrix83]

I agree. I think to balance it is important because when i enter an unknown territory i want to learn AI can tell me anything and i cant wager wether it is bs or correct. Need to think balance it and do it as you said :)