# You don't have to be better than AI
# Code with Beto · https://codewithbeto.dev/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-better-than-ai
# Plain-text export for AI agents and LLM tools
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## About Code with Beto
**Code with Beto** ([codewithbeto.dev](https://codewithbeto.dev)) is an online learning platform by **Alberto Moedano** (Beto, [@betomoedano on X](https://x.com/betomoedano)). It helps developers ship production-ready **React Native**, **React**, **TypeScript**, and **Git** apps through video courses, real project walkthroughs, and production codebases (not toy demos or slide-only tutorials).
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## This document
- **Title:** You don't have to be better than AI
- **Canonical URL:** https://codewithbeto.dev/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-better-than-ai
- **Agents export:** https://codewithbeto.dev/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-better-than-ai/agents.txt
- **Author:** Beto
- **Published:** September 9, 2026
- **Summary:** Testing GPT-6 Astra made me question my purpose as a developer. An honest reflection on AI, learning, and building things people care about.
- **Access tier:** public (full article in this file)
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---
# You don't have to be better than AI
On September 8, while testing GPT-6 Astra, I felt something I hadn't felt before.
I'd gotten used to AI's limits. I knew I couldn't ask ChatGPT to go do something for me on the internet and expect a great result.
Now I'm asking it to edit a video in Final Cut Pro, move my notes into this week's newsletter, design a 3d model of my desk companion project, or upload a YouTube video.
And it's doing a good job, fast.
I've been excited about AI for a long time. But this time, for a moment, I was questioning my existence.
If AI can code, design, edit videos, publish content, and explain things so well... what's my purpose?
When you've spent years learning these skills, watching a tool do them in a minute can feel strange. If you've been feeling something similar, I get it.
One thing I'm trying to remind myself of: **you don't have to be better than AI at a specific skill to justify your existence.**
## I'm already delegating real work
I leave my computer on and use the ChatGPT mobile app to send Astra tasks in my projects, even when I'm away from my desk. I can also schedule work to happen automatically.
About a month ago, I tweeted about finally letting GPT-5.6 handle my emails. It's been doing a great job reliably. I mostly step in when Codex sends me a Slack message about something important.
And honestly, my inbox is getting more AI-generated cold emails: three or four paragraphs pitching something that feels like a scam. Having AI filter that noise and surface real inbound requests is a much better experience.
It's starting to feel like I can grow my team without hiring. I'm delegating real tasks that used to take up my time.
## Then I tried Blender
I kept seeing posts on X of people using Astra for 3D modeling, so I downloaded Blender to try it myself.
I was already working on my desk companion project, a little display for my desk, so I asked it to design a case.
And it did.
Roberto Nickson (@rpnickson) gave Astra nine photos of his studio. Here's the 3D model it built:
I also asked it to post a video on Instagram and TikTok through their websites. It did that too.
That made me wonder: why would I pay for a subscription to post across multiple platforms if I can just ask AI to do it for me?
I think a lot of products are going to face that question. If AI can handle the whole task, what still makes the product worth paying for? Reliability, convenience, and the experience still matter. But the answer feels less obvious now.
Then I thought, “Okay, there's no way it can edit a video in Final Cut Pro.”
So I asked it to try.
It wasn't perfect, but it did a great job. Closer to what I would do than I expected.
That's when it hit me harder. What will this look like in five years?
My mind went further: what happens when intelligence like this can reliably control a robot? Do the dishes? Take out the trash?
I don't know how quickly we get there. But I started questioning what I should spend my time learning today.
## And then there's the science
OpenAI also just [shared a proposed solution to the Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem](https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/), a major mathematical question about how fluids behave. What stood out to me: OpenAI says the model behind it is internal and significantly more capable than Astra.
That reminded me of Google DeepMind's [AlphaFold](https://deepmind.google/blog/alphafold-five-years-of-impact/), which predicts the 3D structure of proteins, helping researchers understand diseases and work toward new medicines.
These companies have the compute and research teams to pursue things I couldn't realistically attempt myself. And, at least in OpenAI's case, we're seeing what a model can do before we get access to it.
Still, those breakthroughs can reach beyond the labs. AlphaFold's [protein structure database is freely available](https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/). And the AI tools we can already use are giving us possibilities I'm only beginning to explore.
I think a lot of people still haven't seen what the latest AI can actually do. If you're reading this, you're probably already curious and trying to build something cool with it. That's worth exploring.
## So, should we keep learning?
Should I keep learning to code? Learn how AI works? Keep doing things manually?
**I still believe learning matters.** Understanding what you're building helps you use AI more effectively, ask better questions, and recognize when something isn't right.
But I don't think we need to do every step manually anymore. Use AI to make your life easier. Find a problem you care about, try to solve it, see what happens, and keep iterating.
Stay curious along the way. Ask AI why something works, how it did it, and what could go wrong. Spend some time understanding the answer.
Of course, other people have access to this too. My competitors can use AI to create content, edit videos, and build mobile apps just like I can.
Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) shared his experience exploring renovation ideas with AI and predicted that more people will become hobbyists and builders. I think we're seeing that shift with apps too.
It's easier to build an app, or copy one you like. But having more apps doesn't automatically mean more people want to use them. Building something just because you can doesn't mean anyone needs it. And it's easy to stop once the first version works.
**The barrier to getting started is lower than ever. Making something compelling still takes work.**
That extra work might mean better prompts, a deeper understanding of the problem, better marketing, or more time refining the details. Listen to the people using your work. Keep improving it. That's how I want to build something people keep choosing, even when similar apps exist.
I don't have a perfect conclusion. I'm excited, a little overwhelmed, and still figuring out what to do with this kind of power.
I'll keep sharing what I try and what I learn. We're all here trying to figure this out together.
If you'd like to follow along, [subscribe to my newsletter](/newsletter).
Let's keep building.
Beto