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Difference between taking your own notes and skimming someone else's. I have found in the last year I "get more done" but I learn less. Whats even worse is if

Difference between taking your own notes and skimming someone else's. I have found in the last year I "get more done" but I learn less. Whats even worse is if I burn though my token quota I am less likely(and less able) to "switch to manual". LLMs make an ocean of decisions and assumptions very quickly and if you don't slow it down very intentionally (and lose the promise of the AI providers are pitching) you will quickly not have a good idea of how systems work.

brookst 18d ago
It’s funny, I’m the exact opposite. I’ve tackled projects at scales I could never have done before, and learned more than I would have. My actual coding ability is probably lower, but I’ve learned so much about music theory and production, CAD, and statistics. All because my hobby projects can go so much further than before.
- hello_moto 18d ago
  Will that knowledge stick? Given that you blasted through many things relatively quick?
  - dalmo3 18d ago
    As someone in a similar journey, I say: No, the knowledge won't stick. OTOH, the output might stick? Then the question becomes do you value knowledge for its own sake or for what it enables you to do? I don't have an answer.
    - brookst 17d ago
      What an insightful response. I thought about that for a while, and its a great way to reframe some of this debate about the desirability of using AI.
  - brookst 18d ago
    I’ve never been a cram for the test kind of person. I do best when using knowledge in an ongoing basis. Regardless of AI, things I studied intensely a decade ago but never use are by and large gone, whereas things I use frequently stay and deepen. I don’t expect it to be any different with AI, but YMMV.
- kaffekaka 18d ago
  Isn't there a risk that this learning is too superficial to actually stay around and impact your thinking in the long run? How I experience it at least, there is no free lunch. Something that gives you knowledge and experience will almost by definition be painful and uncomfortable. We use AI because it is faster, but that speed has a consequence.
  - brookst 17d ago
    Someone else hit on it: a lot this discussion is about whether we as individuals see collection and maintenance of pure knowledge as the goal, or achievement of outcomes. I’d say both are valid. I’m definitely an outcome person. I like making things. I’m taking a multi-year break from a decades-long CNC ceramics project, and I have no doubt my knowledge and skills will atrophy. That’s fine, I’m confident I can pick them up again if/when I return. If I fail to work hard enough on understanding the physics of alternate tunings and rely “too much” on AI to produce a piece, I’m ok with that. If and when I hit a wall and AI isn’t giving the results I want, I’ll dive deeper.

brookst 18d ago

It’s funny, I’m the exact opposite. I’ve tackled projects at scales I could never have done before, and learned more than I would have. My actual coding ability is probably lower, but I’ve learned so much about music theory and production, CAD, and statistics. All because my hobby projects can go so much further than before.

hello_moto 18d ago
Will that knowledge stick? Given that you blasted through many things relatively quick?
- dalmo3 18d ago
  As someone in a similar journey, I say: No, the knowledge won't stick. OTOH, the output might stick? Then the question becomes do you value knowledge for its own sake or for what it enables you to do? I don't have an answer.
  - brookst 17d ago
    What an insightful response. I thought about that for a while, and its a great way to reframe some of this debate about the desirability of using AI.
- brookst 18d ago
  I’ve never been a cram for the test kind of person. I do best when using knowledge in an ongoing basis. Regardless of AI, things I studied intensely a decade ago but never use are by and large gone, whereas things I use frequently stay and deepen. I don’t expect it to be any different with AI, but YMMV.
kaffekaka 18d ago
Isn't there a risk that this learning is too superficial to actually stay around and impact your thinking in the long run? How I experience it at least, there is no free lunch. Something that gives you knowledge and experience will almost by definition be painful and uncomfortable. We use AI because it is faster, but that speed has a consequence.
- brookst 17d ago
  Someone else hit on it: a lot this discussion is about whether we as individuals see collection and maintenance of pure knowledge as the goal, or achievement of outcomes. I’d say both are valid. I’m definitely an outcome person. I like making things. I’m taking a multi-year break from a decades-long CNC ceramics project, and I have no doubt my knowledge and skills will atrophy. That’s fine, I’m confident I can pick them up again if/when I return. If I fail to work hard enough on understanding the physics of alternate tunings and rely “too much” on AI to produce a piece, I’m ok with that. If and when I hit a wall and AI isn’t giving the results I want, I’ll dive deeper.