Now for the record I asked chat-gpt the same. here's what it gave:

Q: is casting in java considered a good practice

A: Casting in Java is not inherently good or bad, but it should be used judiciously and with an understanding of its potential consequences.
Casting is the process of converting one data type into another, and it can be necessary in certain situations. For example, when you retrieve an object from a collection, it may be necessary to cast it to the appropriate type before you can work with it.
However, casting can also lead to errors and introduce unnecessary complexity into your code. In some cases, it may be possible to avoid casting by using polymorphism or generics.
It's important to use casting only when necessary, and to handle any potential exceptions that may occur. Additionally, it's a good practice to write code that is as type-safe as possible, which can help to avoid the need for casting in the first place.
Overall, while casting is a useful tool in certain situations, it should be used thoughtfully and with an understanding of its potential drawbacks.