Using AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot daily can cause gradual skill atrophy — the gap between reading AI-generated code and writing code from scratch widens invisibly over time. Drawing on the aviation autopilot analogy, the argument is that developers should schedule deliberate manual coding practice (algorithm problems, logic exercises) separately from shipping work, just as pilots maintain manual flying proficiency in simulators. The minimum standard for every PR is to genuinely understand the code being pushed, regardless of who or what generated it. Resources like Advent of Code, Codewars, and CSSBattle are suggested for keeping fundamentals sharp.