AI-Assisted Coding: Avoiding "Chair Pants"

The Fuse and The Flint

In this episode of The Fuse and The Flint, Pia Opulencia and Pierce Edmiston discuss AI-assisted coding and the importance of avoiding the "chair pants" mentality. This metaphor, inspired by a character from the show Jury Duty, represents the idea that AI can solve every problem if you just know the right prompt. Pierce argues that while large language models (LLMs) are good at generating code, they aren't a complete solution for software engineering.

He emphasizes that understanding where to put the code and how to integrate it into existing systems is just as important as the code itself. They discuss the pitfalls of relying too heavily on AI, including the potential for low-quality code and the assumption that existing code is always good. They also discuss how AI can be used effectively, like as an auto-complete or oracle, and how it can be used to improve learning. Finally, they look at the long-term impacts of using AI tools and discuss how to avoid viewing them as a simple efficiency tool

• (00:00:37) The "Chair Pants" Metaphor
• (00:01:58) Pitfalls of AI-Assisted Coding
• (00:08:07) Thinking About Failure Cases
• (00:09:54) AI as an Oracle
• (00:11:57) AI Solving the Wrong Problem

Pia Opulencia, Head of Product & AI:

Pia Opulencia, Head of Product & AI at 8th Light, brings over 15 years of experience in tech-forward product development. She has led product management at companies like Evive, Hologram Inc., Narrative Science, and Relativity, and taught Product Management for AI at Northwestern Kellogg University's MBA in AI program.

Pierce Edmiston, Principal Crafter:

Pierce Edmiston combines a background in scientific research and statistics with experience bringing data products from R&D to product systems. He's worked with data teams at many levels of an organization, and he's passionate about bringing quality software tools and practices that enable data science teams to find more insights with more predictable data.

Key Points:

• AI isn’t a "magic bullet," human judgment is essential.
• Measuring is a must. Measure the long-term impact of using AI tools and encourage a more holistic view of success beyond simple efficiency.

Resources:

• Avoiding Chair Pants in the World of AI-assisted Coding
• Pulse Report: AI Assisted Coding

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Fuse and The Flint.

To learn more about this topic, be sure to check out Pierce's article, "Avoiding Chair Pants in the World of AI-Assisted Coding," which is linked above. You can also visit 8thlight.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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Podcast episode production by Dante32.