by dpark 3 days ago
> Do you think that AI only helps with the coding bit, helps with the thinking bits, or helps with neither?
Both. I’m effectively using AI to generate code and to help me reason through design options.
> If AI generates code faster than the time it takes to read it more than once, then it isn't "helping" in terms of sustainability
This seems rather reductionist, especially as in this scenario you described we went from reading code 3 times reading at once. If reading the code is actually the bottleneck, then you described a 3X speed up.
> Isn't this how the author is using it?
Which author are you referring to? agentultra seems to be not using it at all.
> If reading the code is actually the bottleneck, then you described a 3X speed up.
But that's because we aren't reading it anymore. If you feel that reading the code has no value, then sure, that's a 3x speedup, otherwise it's a loss in knowledge.
I was referring to this:
> we read code once while writing it, we read it again while testing it/finding errors during tests, we read it again during review.
That’s 3x. If you only need to read AI generated code for review, you’re still reading it, but 1x.
If you give up reviewing code entirely there’s potentially an even bigger speed up but with bigger trade offs as well.