the pleasure of solving problems, and the impact of AI
Monday, 9 December 2024 09:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miriam_eThe high from getting a program to work is far better than any drug. And it doesn't require the program to be complex, either. I worked on a program late last night, then completed it this morning, in the process cutting out about 90% of the program, simplifying it enormously. The result, when it worked, gave me lovely, sharp pleasure. If that could be bottled it would make million$.
I think I may have noticed something, though it might be my imagination... Perhaps I'm over-tired, but I seem to be finding it diifficult to program things that I've done many times before. I don't think it's the early stages of Alzheimer's because I still have my sense of smell (I think that's one of the first things to go when Alzheimer's strikes). As I say, it may just be that I'm tired most of the time these days. However a thought struck me since reading an article by John Gibbins recently. When I'm faced with a difficult programming problem I generally just read manual pages and search on the net for info until I solve it, but lately I've turned to AI to more quickly get the solutions I need.
Wild dogs are very smart. They will often solve problems that domesticated dogs are unable to, but domesticated dogs have humans. When they are unable to solve a problem they deliberately turn to their human. This makes the domesticated dog way smarter than the wild dog... but only if it has a human to fall back on.
In relying on AI to help me solve problems am I "domesticating" myself out of my ability to solve problems? Or am I stepping up to higher levels of problems that I wouldn't have previously solved, but now am able to using AI as a tool?
Interesting questions.
I think I may have noticed something, though it might be my imagination... Perhaps I'm over-tired, but I seem to be finding it diifficult to program things that I've done many times before. I don't think it's the early stages of Alzheimer's because I still have my sense of smell (I think that's one of the first things to go when Alzheimer's strikes). As I say, it may just be that I'm tired most of the time these days. However a thought struck me since reading an article by John Gibbins recently. When I'm faced with a difficult programming problem I generally just read manual pages and search on the net for info until I solve it, but lately I've turned to AI to more quickly get the solutions I need.
Wild dogs are very smart. They will often solve problems that domesticated dogs are unable to, but domesticated dogs have humans. When they are unable to solve a problem they deliberately turn to their human. This makes the domesticated dog way smarter than the wild dog... but only if it has a human to fall back on.
In relying on AI to help me solve problems am I "domesticating" myself out of my ability to solve problems? Or am I stepping up to higher levels of problems that I wouldn't have previously solved, but now am able to using AI as a tool?
Interesting questions.