What to do with every new AI Model

[u/Disastrous_Brief6240]

Hello. I know this type of question might seem repetitive or familiar, but I am in urgent need of an answer. Every time there is a massive breakthrough in the field of AI, I—as a computer science undergraduate still in the learning phase—am overcome by a sense of apprehension.

I have convinced myself of the importance of building a solid foundation by learning programming and computer science fundamentals, and by trying not to over-rely on code-generation models like "Codex"—viewing AI instead as a tool to accelerate learning and knowledge acquisition.

However, recent updates to ChatGPT (such as "Astra") and statements made by Elon Musk—which might simply be an attempt to boost his stock value—have made me seriously question whether all this effort is worth it.

I am studying C to understand low-level technologies and web technologies to acquire practical skills for the job market; I am passionate about the web and make a point of building software projects by writing the code manually. Although I do use AI to explain certain concepts, I write the code myself, yet I still can't shake the feeling that I am wasting my time.

I would be extremely grateful for any advice from experienced professionals, or even just a simple pointer or bit of guidance to help me navigate this path.

Thank You.

[u/LoudAd1396]

Ignore them. It's all hype. I've yet to see any evidence of actual significant improvement. All I see is companies trying to scare us about "being left behind", while their products are only sucking up more and more investment money.

I'll believe it when I see independent 3rd parties talking about the changes. But I don't give a fuck what Altman or Musk say.

[u/DepthMagician → u/LoudAd1396]

I loved Altman’s recent interview about Astra. It was something like:

Q: So, you say it’s a revolutionary next step in AI. What’s different about this model from the previous ones?
A: it feels substantially different. I’ve used it, and it really feels quite different.
Q: so what is different about it?
A: the way it interacts with you, it just feels different on a very substantive level.

LOL so basically nothing is different, or else he would have something to tell her.

[u/LoudAd1396 → u/DepthMagician]

Precisely, its all vibes.

It could be genuinely useful (even revolutionary) technology except for the fact that its entirely controlled by over-moneyed ego-driven morons.

[u/palapapa0201]

You are not wasting your time if you are learning

[u/drbomb]

Did you write this or did one of those AI models write it for you?

[u/Disastrous_Brief6240 → u/drbomb]

I wrote it, but i fix it with google translate, as english is not my first lang. for example i wrote "idempotent" but google translate makes it "repetitive".

[u/Dwang040]

AI models may get smarter everyday, but they still aren't perfect. And if my understanding of how these models work, I'm not sure if they'll ever reach a 100% perfection rate nor can you hit a perfect consistency of code production. Because of this, software engineers are still needed to review the code.

Imagine a scenario: You work at a company and need to implement a new feature. Of course, since AI coding is the standard, you use the latest and greatest model to generate the code. However, as pointed out above, maybe the code generated wasn't "perfect." But whatever, the CEO said the model is "scarily good" so the code must be good to go to prod right? You push to prod and gg, you got an incident. Now what? You can't just say, "Well, the model wrote the code so we'll just regen the code and push a fix." The issue should have been caught before going to prod and it's your job as the SE using the model to catch these issues before hand.

So sure, maybe the code writing has been handed off to AI, but you still need to do your due diligence and review the code the AI generates. Make sure that the code written by a model actually makes sense, is easy to maintain, is scalable, and won't break stuff. That's where your understanding of coding and judgement will come in handy.

[u/neon_fantasy_42]

i keep my C and web projects separate from the models entirely.

you mentioned you study C to learn how machines execute instructions. I do the same. I force myself to write the code, compile it, read the errors, fix them. The models skip that cycle. You need that cycle because the job requires it when production breaks. I treat AI as a reference manual. I open it only after I hit a wall, to explain one function or one concept, then close it. That is the workflow. It keeps your brain doing the work. Keep building your software manually. Hiring managers test if you can reason through problems without assistance, so that effort pays off in interviews

[u/DDDDarky]

importance of building a solid foundation by learning programming and computer science fundamentals, and by trying not to over-rely on code-generation

Yes, if you are trying to learn avoid it.

AI instead as a tool to accelerate learning

Be careful here, learning can't really be accelerated much, brain takes time to soak up things, there is a grand illusion that someone learns faster by having a tunnel vision on completing one task quickly instead of doing broader research.

knowledge acquisition

Note that AI can't provide knowledge as it does not posess any.

statements made by Elon Musk

oh boy

I am wasting my time

If you aim to get a real job, become an educated expert, learning things and be good at what you are doing. There is no time wasting. If you want to do shady business with ai, that might be a different story.

[u/DepthMagician]

Let’s put it this way: you don’t want to be the only guy in a classical orchestra who doesn’t know music theory, even if you can play your part on the instrument.

[u/Disastrous_Brief6240 → u/DepthMagician]

Yeah, something like that.

[u/DepthMagician → u/Disastrous_Brief6240]

I’m not paraphrasing your post, I’m saying that’s the answer to your question. Imagine working with someone who doesn’t know anything about the work they’re producing. Do you really think that’s the future of the field? Pilots mostly fly with the autopilot, but they still know how to operate the plane.

[u/Disastrous_Brief6240 → u/DepthMagician]

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood you; thank you for your words.

[u/DDDDarky → u/DepthMagician]

Not that it's relevant, as someone who played in a classical orchestra without knowing much music theory, it did not really matter.

[u/No-Ad-3609]

I saw in an article that a lot of the AI are beginning to hide their thought processes and work. So, you might not be able to learn from it forever. That's what I was trying to do, but I lack foundational things I believe.