This post is gold.

This reminds me of the “Compulsive Programmer” chapter in “Computer Power and Human Reason” (c. 1976), and also of how I used to write code when I first started - way before LLMs were a thing and also before I studied proper engineering. That kind of unfortunately common type of programmer follows exactly the hook-loop model, except instead of relying on an LLM to randomise the result of each loop iteration you do it yourself by proceeding without really trying to understand the problem.

I think this is a basic feature of programming, where a single iteration of trial and error is very fast and cheap, and where you can very easily have something that looks like it works without knowing why or even if it does. ChatGPT removes technical barriers and friction, sure, but programming was already kinda cooked. I would be interested in whether generative tools make this approach feasible in other more mature technical disciplines.

Also, that chapter in Computer Power is well worth a read on its own, as a finely aged sneer at computering under the assumption that enough computering is a good substitute for understanding anything else.

…okay in retrospect “AI is gambling” does explain a lot about why people are going completely fucking bonkers for autoplag

Cocaine doesn’t make you a business genius — it just makes you think you’re a business genius. Same for AI.

This is completely unrelated, but I once saw a dude snort a line of cocaine straight off a Nintendo Switch. Its kinda funny to think about.

Curious what a study on relative AI uptake by Parkinson’s patients and my fellow adhd’ers looks like. The same dopaminergic systems whose underperformance drives symptoms also makes us more likely to get hooked on gambling than average.

Edit: also, AI-to-cocaine is the new cloud-to-butt