I can confirm this is exactly how llms are working. Spent two hours trying to get an llm to implement a filescan skip a specific directory. Tried, claude code, Gemini and cursor. All agents debugged and wrote code that just doesn't make sense.

Llms are really good at template tasks, writing tests, boilerplate etc. But, Most times I'm not doing implement this button. I'm doing there's a logic mismatch in my expectation

> Spent two hours trying to get an llm to implement a filescan skip a specific directory

There's a large variance in outcomes depending on the prompt, and the process. I've gotten it to do things which are harder than a filescan with a skipped directory - without too much trouble.

Add:

> Llms are really good at template tasks, writing tests, boilerplate etc.

If I have to stretch the definition of boilerplate to what's at the edge of a modern LLM's comprehension, I would say that 50% of software is some sort of boilerplate.