When should I use AI to code and when should I not?

You are caught between leaning on it blindly and avoiding it out of distrust, and you sense that neither is real judgment. You are right. The skill you are missing is not more trust or less; it is knowing which situation calls for which. Reach for it when the cost of a mistake is low and visible: scaffolding, routine code, exploring an approach, remembering syntax. Keep your own hands on the wheel when the cost is high or the error would hide: security, core logic, anything you will build on for a long time. The tool is fast but not accountable. You are the one who is accountable, so you decide where speed is safe. Turn it into a habit instead of a mood. Before you accept its work, ask: if this is wrong, how much does it cost and would I catch it? Let that answer, not your comfort, set your grip. Judgment is just that question asked again and again until it becomes second nature.