No AI Fridays
A 2026 proposal that software teams switch off their AI coding assistants one day a week to keep their own skills sharp.
No AI Fridays is a proposal published in August 2026 by Carson Gross, the creator of htmx. The rule is exactly as simple as the name: one day a week, turn the AI assistants off, write the code yourself, read the documentation, and think the problem through. The site behind it cites research on cognitive debt, engagement, critical thinking and skill formation, then makes a practical argument rather than a moral one. If AI really does make you far more productive, giving up one day in five to limit the downsides should be an easy trade.
It is not an anti AI position. The site explicitly approves of tools that give you feedback you can learn from, such as linters and automated code review, on the grounds that you learn from them while the model does not. The idea travels beyond programming: the same test works for anything you have started outsourcing to a chatbot.