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  3. I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

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  • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

    I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

    rzeta0@mathstodon.xyzR This user is from outside of this forum
    rzeta0@mathstodon.xyzR This user is from outside of this forum
    rzeta0@mathstodon.xyz
    wrote last edited by
    #6

    @samir

    I'm generally against hyper-large-model based generative algorithms for at least 3 reasons

    1. the ethics of training resources and getting training data

    2. new class of bugs and security risks, as well as the poor maintainability of generated code

    3. deskilling as people rely on these auto-parrots, and no longer learn the actual skill these machines are bad at mimicking

    I was surprised to see a famous mathematician, world famous, invest a lot of time in AI-aided proofs. I guess the difference between AI-generated code or human-language content - and AI-generated proofs is that the proofs can be checked with proof checkers (which are not AI). I'm still thinking about whether this "idea generation" is a good thing or a bad thing.

    rosactrl@social.vivaldi.netR 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

      I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

      thirstybear@agilodon.socialT This user is from outside of this forum
      thirstybear@agilodon.socialT This user is from outside of this forum
      thirstybear@agilodon.social
      wrote last edited by
      #7

      @samir I always say nobody is immune to bad judgement. Even our heroes.

      Equally, nobody is immune to good judgement. Even those who we have already set the ‘bozo-bit’.

      Keep an open mind.

      samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • thirstybear@agilodon.socialT thirstybear@agilodon.social

        @samir I always say nobody is immune to bad judgement. Even our heroes.

        Equally, nobody is immune to good judgement. Even those who we have already set the ‘bozo-bit’.

        Keep an open mind.

        samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
        samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
        samir@mastodon.functional.computer
        wrote last edited by
        #8

        @thirstybear Yeah, I am not writing these people off, but I am disappointed.

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

          I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

          romeu@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
          romeu@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
          romeu@mastodon.social
          wrote last edited by
          #9

          @samir i keep repeating to myself “my admiration for them was an illusion that needed to die” but clearly: same.
          No only grieving people i admire but also profound friends that I loved and admired.

          samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

            I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

            janl@narrativ.esJ This user is from outside of this forum
            janl@narrativ.esJ This user is from outside of this forum
            janl@narrativ.es
            wrote last edited by
            #10

            @samir the lesson I keep learning (am I?) is not to have heroes in the first place. But it’s hard and it sucks when they fall.

            bodil@social.treehouse.systemsB samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 2 Replies Last reply
            0
            • janl@narrativ.esJ janl@narrativ.es

              @samir the lesson I keep learning (am I?) is not to have heroes in the first place. But it’s hard and it sucks when they fall.

              bodil@social.treehouse.systemsB This user is from outside of this forum
              bodil@social.treehouse.systemsB This user is from outside of this forum
              bodil@social.treehouse.systems
              wrote last edited by
              #11

              @janl @samir The last hero I had was rms. It wasn't hard to learn that lesson, lol sob.

              samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • romeu@mastodon.socialR romeu@mastodon.social

                @samir i keep repeating to myself “my admiration for them was an illusion that needed to die” but clearly: same.
                No only grieving people i admire but also profound friends that I loved and admired.

                samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                wrote last edited by
                #12

                @romeu Yeah, that’s it, it was an illusion. I can appreciate their past work, their writing, whatever, without putting them on a daïs.

                A lesson I will learn over and over again, no doubt!

                I’m sorry for your losses too. They’re in our heads, but they’re still real.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • janl@narrativ.esJ janl@narrativ.es

                  @samir the lesson I keep learning (am I?) is not to have heroes in the first place. But it’s hard and it sucks when they fall.

                  samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                  samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                  samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                  wrote last edited by
                  #13

                  @janl I’m learning it for the third or fourth time. Let’s see if it sticks!

                  It is hard, and I’m sorry.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • bodil@social.treehouse.systemsB bodil@social.treehouse.systems

                    @janl @samir The last hero I had was rms. It wasn't hard to learn that lesson, lol sob.

                    samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                    samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                    samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                    wrote last edited by
                    #14

                    @bodil @janl Oh yeah, I had forgotten when RMS and ESR were on my list, it’s been so long.

                    I’m impressed you managed to avoid finding more TBH!

                    dtemme@hachyderm.ioD 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • rzeta0@mathstodon.xyzR rzeta0@mathstodon.xyz

                      @samir

                      I'm generally against hyper-large-model based generative algorithms for at least 3 reasons

                      1. the ethics of training resources and getting training data

                      2. new class of bugs and security risks, as well as the poor maintainability of generated code

                      3. deskilling as people rely on these auto-parrots, and no longer learn the actual skill these machines are bad at mimicking

                      I was surprised to see a famous mathematician, world famous, invest a lot of time in AI-aided proofs. I guess the difference between AI-generated code or human-language content - and AI-generated proofs is that the proofs can be checked with proof checkers (which are not AI). I'm still thinking about whether this "idea generation" is a good thing or a bad thing.

                      rosactrl@social.vivaldi.netR This user is from outside of this forum
                      rosactrl@social.vivaldi.netR This user is from outside of this forum
                      rosactrl@social.vivaldi.net
                      wrote last edited by
                      #15

                      @rzeta0 @samir if you let me, I think using these things as a writer may use a tarot deck is OK. These fields are creative by nature, so there’s no harm reaching for them if needed. But suddenly they are just another tool. Not a tool to rule them all

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                        I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

                        adrian@mastodon.designA This user is from outside of this forum
                        adrian@mastodon.designA This user is from outside of this forum
                        adrian@mastodon.design
                        wrote last edited by
                        #16

                        @samir Proof once more that people don't have hidden depths, only hidden shallows.

                        samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                          @lizzy There are some good ones. They’re typically the ones who actually ship code!

                          And then there’s Anil Dash, who up until last year, I worshipped.

                          sanityinc@hachyderm.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
                          sanityinc@hachyderm.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
                          sanityinc@hachyderm.io
                          wrote last edited by
                          #17

                          @samir @lizzy Anil Dash has posted absolute junk recently. Ron Jeffries is one of the good ones too. I'm discovering more heroes as I read new thoughtful posts, because they show me the people who are smart *and* compassionate. When I was a young engineer, smart would have been enough for me, but now I'm trying my best to live my personal values.

                          samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • sanityinc@hachyderm.ioS sanityinc@hachyderm.io

                            @samir @lizzy Anil Dash has posted absolute junk recently. Ron Jeffries is one of the good ones too. I'm discovering more heroes as I read new thoughtful posts, because they show me the people who are smart *and* compassionate. When I was a young engineer, smart would have been enough for me, but now I'm trying my best to live my personal values.

                            samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                            samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                            samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                            wrote last edited by
                            #18

                            @sanityinc @lizzy Ron Jeffries is still one of my heroes, indeed. 😊

                            firepoet@tech.lgbtF 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                              I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

                              firepoet@tech.lgbtF This user is from outside of this forum
                              firepoet@tech.lgbtF This user is from outside of this forum
                              firepoet@tech.lgbt
                              wrote last edited by
                              #19

                              @samir agreed

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                                @sanityinc @lizzy Ron Jeffries is still one of my heroes, indeed. 😊

                                firepoet@tech.lgbtF This user is from outside of this forum
                                firepoet@tech.lgbtF This user is from outside of this forum
                                firepoet@tech.lgbt
                                wrote last edited by
                                #20

                                @samir @sanityinc @lizzy —@RonJeffries is also one of my heroes!

                                ronjeffries@mastodon.socialR 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • adrian@mastodon.designA adrian@mastodon.design

                                  @samir Proof once more that people don't have hidden depths, only hidden shallows.

                                  samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                  samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                  samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #21

                                  @adrian I think there’s both! (I hope there’s both.)

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                                    @bodil @janl Oh yeah, I had forgotten when RMS and ESR were on my list, it’s been so long.

                                    I’m impressed you managed to avoid finding more TBH!

                                    dtemme@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
                                    dtemme@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
                                    dtemme@hachyderm.io
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #22

                                    @samir @bodil @janl haha. ESR. From cathedral and bazaar to "arming pilots would have prevented 9/11" was a good learning experience to not be too generous with respect for random strangers.

                                    I feel old now.

                                    Edit: the amount of completely useless trivia I have in my head though

                                    samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • dtemme@hachyderm.ioD dtemme@hachyderm.io

                                      @samir @bodil @janl haha. ESR. From cathedral and bazaar to "arming pilots would have prevented 9/11" was a good learning experience to not be too generous with respect for random strangers.

                                      I feel old now.

                                      Edit: the amount of completely useless trivia I have in my head though

                                      samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                      samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                      samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #23

                                      @dtemme @bodil @janl Old is good. It means you made it this far.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • samir@mastodon.functional.computerS samir@mastodon.functional.computer

                                        I think the thing that makes me saddest about this whole “use an LLM to generate code” thing is that many of my heroes are no longer my heroes.

                                        dtemme@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
                                        dtemme@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
                                        dtemme@hachyderm.io
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #24

                                        @samir I think I'm even more exhausted by the well-meaning, well-reasoned, balanced takes that try to find the positives in LLMs. I appreciate it and also usually try to argue in that way but specifically for this topic it's draining the life out of me

                                        samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • dtemme@hachyderm.ioD dtemme@hachyderm.io

                                          @samir I think I'm even more exhausted by the well-meaning, well-reasoned, balanced takes that try to find the positives in LLMs. I appreciate it and also usually try to argue in that way but specifically for this topic it's draining the life out of me

                                          samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          samir@mastodon.functional.computerS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          samir@mastodon.functional.computer
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #25

                                          @dtemme Is it because most of these takes are in bad faith?

                                          Because it’s definitely not in good faith when you ignore negative externalities (climate, etc.), power differential, the abuse required to make the product (model-training sweatshops)…

                                          If anything, I think that one of the crimes here is that we technology people mostly ignored all this when it was in other fields, e.g. fast fashion.

                                          samir@mastodon.functional.computerS 1 Reply Last reply
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