Yes and no
It helps to know a bit of Python, but the more we improve the basic functionality (based on experiences from users), the less it should be necessary. For instance, in ATK 10.8, the start and finish times are automatically written to the log file
But yes, some basic things like understanding that the script is executed as a program is vital, and being able to modify simple things yourself is very convenient and makes the use of ATK more efficient.
There are many basic Python tutorials on the internet, googling "python basic tutorial" gives a lot of suitable ones. Spending a few hours on that is time well invested, in my honest opinion; I promise that you will earn that time back many times when your use of ATK becomes more efficient, and you are able to solve simple problems or use more advanced functionality in the software.