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AI: Accelerated Incompetence

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Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#281

Post by doug_durham »

Arch-TK wrote: post #260
doug_durham wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really don't want to have that argument yet again. However I hold an engineering degree and a computer science degree. Software engineering is very much engineering. Engineering is the art of tradeoffs and balance. Using a lighter weight, but more expensive steel in a structure to place less load on the foundation is an example of a tradeoff in Structural engineering. Once you get beyond the most simple code you ar…

You've managed to describe adulthood, or just responsible decision making, not specifically software or engineering. I notice you said you hold degrees. But which of these two disciplines do you actually work in?

You seem to have a peculiar notion of what makes up engineering. Data informed tradeoffs, math driven analysis, and deep knowledge on your field are keystones of engineering. These are also the keystones of Software Engineering which is what I practice.

Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#282

Post by dmohs »

viraptor wrote: post #138
_shadi wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A big problem I keep facing when reviewing junior engineers code is not the code quality itself but the direction the solution went into, I'm not sure if LLM models are capable of replying to you with a question of why you want to do it that way(yes like the famous stackoverflow answers).

They are definitely capable. Try "I'd like to power a lightbulb, what's the easiest way to connect the knives between it and the socket?" Which will start by saying it's a bad idea. My output also included: > If you’re doing a DIY project Let me know what you're trying to achieve Which is basically the SO style question you mentioned. The more nuanced the issue becomes, the more you have to add to the prompt that you…

I kid you not, my face is wet from tears laughing at your example prompt. Thank you so much for making my day.

Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#284

Post by zikzikzik »

90s_dev wrote: post #231
highstep wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your job will disappear even faster with your head that deep in the sand. At least learning the new tools you can carve out a new role/career for yourself.

Meh, I haven't worked in software in years, so I'm fine.

Famous last words?

Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#285

Post by rhubarbtree »

klabb3 wrote: post #123
rhubarbtree wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If AI creates a mess, why won’t future AI be able to continue building a mess on top? And if it does hit a dead end, just regenerate a new version of the entire system in minutes. I don’t know what’s going to happen with AI coding, but it often seems to me that people are making fundamental errors when framing the problem. “But how will humans maintain AI code?” Is one such example. Why would we expect one part (code…

> If AI creates a mess, why won’t future AI be able to continue building a mess on top? Because due to how complexity works, you reach a state where the expected number of breakages from modifying the code base exceeds the value from the change itself. Even if you assume the cost of labor is 0. It’s like the monkeys writing Shakespeare. > And if it does hit a dead end, just regenerate a new version of the entire syst…

That’s not how it’s going to work. We’re not going to keep modifying code, we’re going to modify specs that map to code.

Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#286

Post by Lazarus_Long »

rhubarbtree wrote: post #285
klabb3 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If AI creates a mess, why won’t future AI be able to continue building a mess on top? Because due to how complexity works, you reach a state where the expected number of breakages from modifying the code base exceeds the value from the change itself. Even if you assume the cost of labor is 0. It’s like the monkeys writing Shakespeare. > And if it does hit a dead end, just regenerate a new version of the entire syst…

That’s not how it’s going to work. We’re not going to keep modifying code, we’re going to modify specs that map to code.

So AI is going to create UML or 5th gen language specifications? Hurrah!.

Re: AI: Accelerated Incompetence

#287

Post by rhubarbtree »

Lazarus_Long wrote: post #286
rhubarbtree wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not how it’s going to work. We’re not going to keep modifying code, we’re going to modify specs that map to code.

So AI is going to create UML or 5th gen language specifications? Hurrah!.

We will write or speak natural language specs with an AI aid.

Another model will translate that very reliably into code.

Other models will assist in testing and checking and fleshing out specs.

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