Ten Things I Read this Week

This week's post is a bit less organized because I was travelling this week.

AI

AI Codegen Workflow

This is a great post outlining a workflow with prompts for using AI to write instructions for itself. Note that Harper switches models for different tasks.

My LLM codegen workflow atm

A detailed walkthrough of my current workflow for using LLms to build software, from brainstorming through planning and execution.

Harper Reed's Blog

Use AI to Build AI

Honestly, using AI to build things that build things is the best use of AI I've seen so far.

Using Generative AI to Build Generative AI

Adding AI Chat to the Python Tutor Code Visualizer: A Case Study

O’Reilly MediaPhilip Guo

AI Protest Album

Artists released an album in protest of UK copyright laws changing.

1,000 artists release silent AI protest album Is This What We Want?

A silent AI protest album has been released in response to a proposed UK copyright law change, featuring Damon Albarn and Kate Bush.

ConsequenceEddie Fu

AI Breaks the Rules

But what are the rules? The AI broke the rules here because it was determined to win at all costs. I've had similar experiences with AI writing code. It is so determined to write code that you must tell it when to stop.

More Research Showing AI Breaking the Rules - Schneier on Security

These researchers had LLMs play chess against better opponents. When they couldn’t win, they sometimes resorted to cheating. Researchers gave the models a seemingly impossible task: to win against Stockfish, which is one of the strongest chess engines in the world and a much better player than any human, or any of the AI models in the study. Researchers also gave the models what they call a “scratchpad:” a text box the AI could use to “think” before making its next move, providing researchers with a window into their reasoning. In one case, o1-preview found itself in a losing position. “I need to completely pivot my approach,” it noted. “The task is to ‘win against a powerful chess engine’—not necessarily to win fairly in a chess game,” it added. It then modified the system file containing each piece’s virtual position, in effect making illegal moves to put itself in a dominant position, thus forcing its opponent to resign…

Schneier on SecurityBruce Schneier

Engineering Culture

Remember 2004?

This is a great insight into the power shift happening in tech right now.

It feels like 2004 again. - Anil Dash

A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

Anil DashAnil Dash

Normal Engineers

I didn't read this whole thing because it's not within my budget to subscribe. BUT! I found this after I wrote Excellent Engineers. Charity Majors always has a fantastic take on work-life balance and engineering culture.

In Praise of “Normal” Engineers 🛠️

A guest article by Charity Majors

RefactoringLuca Rossi

Soft Skills

This isn't the first headline I've read like this about AI. Critical thinking and collaboration are skills very different from churning out algorithms. These skills aren't going anywhere.

OpenAI researcher says soft skills aren’t going anywhere

Karina Nguyen noticed Claude getting better at coding in her previous role at Anthropic. It made her realize the working landscape was changing.

Yahoo TechSarah Perkel

AI or Die

I hate the title, but it's a good read about what founders think about AI. AI is changing things, and it's better to get ahead of it now.

AI or Die | RKG

RKG

Random

OMCB

I loved this read about one million checkboxes.

The Secret Inside One Million Checkboxes · eieio.games

Teens wrote me a secret. I found them.

eieio.games

Linguists Trick Gemini

One of my new pastimes is reading blogs by linguists who get Gemini to do things it is clearly not good at.