ChatGPT is a mere three years old by now -- it sure feels longer. By now, many seem to either have dismissed LLMs as useless (or evil) or have quickly taken them for granted. But I continue to be amazed and find I get more and more value from Claude et al.

What I probably like the most is that LLMs remove friction. What often slows us down is not the lack of ideas or things to do and try, but the sum of the small hurdles and hoops one has to jump though before getting anywhere.

Well, no more. Config problems with your web-app? Data needs to be converted to or from an obscure custom format? Need to understand why your code does not do what you think it should? Or understand someone else's code quickly? LLMs got you covered. It's like rubberducking but the duck talks back and can solve the entire problem for you!

Yes, they make mistakes and one may need to verify the results. But in may cases this is trivial, or not really necessary, for example when discussing different tools or solutions to a problem. Skimming through the alternatives quickly lets one choose a path forward that is very likely better than it would have been without asking the model.

This is an import aspect: having some taste and quick judgement helps a lot, in other words knowing what you want. If you really do, you probably are able to explain it well enough to an LLM and get it to execute for you. If not, then LLMs can help you too, but one needs to have enough clarity of mind to recognize this as a different mode of operation, where non-leading questions and iterations on the problem can improve one's thinking very much like a discussion with a collegue or expert would have done.

To quote TheZvi:

AI is the best tool ever invented for learning. AI is the best tool ever invented for not learning. You can choose which way you use AI. #1 is available but requires intention.