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Dev.to
Dev.to
6/30/2026
I'm AI-First, Vanilla JS Only, and I'm Not Sorry

I'm AI-First, Vanilla JS Only, and I'm Not Sorry

Short summary

A developer with 19+ years of experience argues that AI tools accelerate vanilla JavaScript development without diminishing skill or craftsmanship. The author proposes a THINK checklist—True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind—as an ethical framework for shipping AI-assisted code, advocating for native Web APIs over framework dependencies.

  • AI acceleration enhances developer efficiency without reducing skill—it's a natural evolution of existing tools like autocomplete and linters
  • Author uses vanilla JS, Node.js built-ins, and modern Web APIs to avoid unnecessary dependencies and complexity
  • Introduces THINK framework (True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind) for ethical evaluation of AI-assisted code

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.

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