This is a great response, even for a blue collar worker understanding none of its complexities (I have no code creation abilities, whatsoever — I can adjust parameters, and that's about it... I am a hardware guy).

My layperson anecdote about LLM coding is that using Perplexity is the first time I've ever had the confidence (artificial, or not) to actually try to accomplish something novel with software/coding. Without judgments, the LLM patiently attempts to turn my meat-speak into code. It helps explain [very simple stuff I can assure you!] what its language requires for a hardware result to occur, without chastising you. [Raspberry Pi / Arduino e.g.]

LLMs have encouraged me to explore the inner workings of more technologies, software and not. I finally have the knowledgeable apprentice to help me with microcontroller implementations, albeit slowly and perhaps somewhat dangerously [1].

----

Having spent the majority of my professional life troubleshooting hardware problems, I often benefit from rubber ducky troubleshooting [0], going back to the basics when something complicated isn't working. LLMs have been very helpful in this roleplay (e.g. garage door openers, thermostat advanced configurations, pin-outs, washing machine not working, etc.).

[0] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging>

[1] "He knows just enough to be dangerous" —proverbial electricians

¢¢

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giardini 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

As a software guy going way back, this post may be the death knell of software development as I've known it. I have never seen a good hardware guy who could code his way out of a paper bag. If hardware guys succeed in developing software with LLM coding, then it's time to abandon ship (reaches for life preserver pension).

	▲	ProllyInfamous 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		I'm'bout'ta flash your PLC Ladder Logic firmwares, friend. j/k don't worry I'm an idiot — but somebody else WILL.

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mrwrong 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

what really comes through in this description is a fear of judgement from other people, which I think is extremely relatable for anyone who's ever posted a question on stack overflow. I don't think it's a coincidence that the popularity of these tools is coinciding with a general atmosphere of low trust and social cohesion in the US and other societies this last decade

	▲	ProllyInfamous 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		On her deathbed, years ago, my beloved mother lamented that she often felt mentally bullied by her three brilliant sons [0], even decades into our adulthoods; embarassed, she would censor her own knowledge-seeking from the people she trusted most [2]. She didn't live long enough to use ChatGPT [1] (she would have been flabbergasted at its ability to understand people/situations), but even with her "normal" intelligence she would have been a master to its perceptions/trainings. [0] "Beyond just teasing." [1] We did briefly wordplay with GPT-2 right before she died via thisworddoesnotexist.com exchanges, but nothing conversive. [2] Relavent example, to the best of my understanding of hers: I would never ask my brilliant engineer programmer hardwarebro for coding help on any personal project, never. Just as I don't ask lawyerbro for personal legal advice. ---- About a year later (~2023), my dentist friend experienced a sudden life change (wife sick @35); in his grieving/soul-seeking, I recommended that he share some of his mental chaos with an LLM, even just if to role-play as his sick family member. Dr. Friend later thanked me for recommending the resource — particularly "the entire lack of any judgments" — and shared his own brilliant discoveries using creative prompt structuring. ---- Particularly as a big dude, it's nice to not always have to be the tough guy, to even admit weakness. Unfortunately I think the overall societal benefits of generative AI are going to increase anti-social behaviour, but it's nice to have a friendly apprentice that knows something about almost everything... any time... any reason.