Code Is Cheap(er)
17 hours ago
- #developer mindset
- #software complexity
- #AI coding
- AI has significantly reduced the cost of creating code, making coding less central to software development.
- Understanding code has become more expensive because AI-generated code lacks inherent understanding, requiring developers to read and comprehend it after it's written.
- Developers must understand LLM-generated code, especially for mission-critical software, as LLMs are not deterministic and can produce code faster than it can be understood.
- The 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' metaphor warns of the dangers of uncontrolled AI use, emphasizing the need for developers to be in control and understand the code.
- Cheap code increases complexity, which grows geometrically or exponentially with system size, and LLMs, as prolific coders without fear of complexity, exacerbate this risk.
- The subtractive, constraining engineer is proposed to mitigate these dangers by focusing on simplifying, removing unnecessary code, and maintaining control over AI-generated output.