Testing the limits of generative AI
To get the most from generative AI (GenAI) tools like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT, Datasette founder Simon Willison argues you have to be prepared to accept four conflicting opinions. Namely, that AI is neither our salvation nor our doom, neither empty hype nor the solution to everything. It’s none of these and all of them at the same time. As Willison puts it, “The wild thing is that all of these [options] are right!”
Maybe. It all depends on how you use genAI tools and what you expect. If you’re expecting a code generation assistant like AWS CodeWhisperer to produce perfect code that you can accept and use wholesale without change, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re using these tools to complement developer skills, well, you just might be in for a very positive surprise.