I've Started Using Dumber Models on Purpose

Dev.to AI
Generative AI

Here's something that felt wrong at first: I've started reaching for less capable models when I'm writing code. Not because they're cheaper. Because they make me think. The Problem with Too-Capable Tools Opus 4.5 will take a half-baked prompt and ship working code. You describe a vague idea, and 30 seconds later you've got something that compiles. Magic, right? Except. did you actually think about what you were building? The risk with ultra-capable models isn't wrong code - it's skipping the part where you understand the problem. You get a solution before you've defined what you're solving.