alt Hacker NewsI'd been a software engineer for 25 years before language models came into the scene. There were so many parts of the engineering world I had no idea about: Large cloud data processing, lower level device / GPUs, UI frameworks and design.
I kept my to my niche.
Now I can build anything, but as I'm building it, I try to understand at least how it works. So I'm constantly asking questions. In the process, I think of my prior engineering skill as somewhat childlike. As I thought I was a decent engineer, I now see that I was decent at some things, but far from the kind of breadth that the wide engineering world has.
I think the takeaway is that you should always be curious and build things. Whether it's writing or discussing with an language model, writing software by hand, or creating software with a model and understanding it, I think you have the same effect.
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Before AI, even when working collaboratively and bumping into concepts I did not fully grasp, there was so much more friction to get answers. Sure I could Google and try my luck, or I could ask a colleague. But the LLMs have infinite patience, can build diagrams, and can answer weird questions I would be afraid to ask.
With writing I think it's the same thing.
> Now I can build anything, but as I'm building it, I try to understand at least how it works. So I'm constantly asking questions.
This is the way!
AI is the best technology ever invented for avoiding learning things. It’s also the best technology ever invented for learning things.
I think it’s very important to be on your guard for accidentally glazing over your understanding, but if understanding is your goal, there are so many more tools for this now.