[nayshins]

I'm happy to let people think that AI does not yield productivity gains. There is no point engaging on this topic, so I will just outwork/outperform them.

[quxbar]

I now have the pleasure of giving exercises to candidates where they are explicitly allowed to use any AI or autocomplete that they want, but it's one of those tricky real-world problems where you'll only get yourself into trouble if you only follow the model's suggestions. It really separates the builders from the bureaucrats far more effectively than seeing who can whiteboard or leetcode.

[jamil7]

Its kind of a trap, we allow people in interviews to do the same and some of them waste so much time accepting wrong LLM completions and then changing them than if they'd just written the code themselves.

[pydry]

Ive been doing this inadvertently for years by making tasks that were as realistic as possible - explicitly based upon the code the candidate will be working upon.

As it happens, this meant when candidates started throwing AI at the task, instead of performing that magic it usually can when you make it build a todo app or solve some done-to-death irrelevant leetcode problem it flailed and left the candidate feeling embarrassed.

I really hope AI signals the death knell of fucking stupid interview problems like leetcode. Alas many companies are instead knee jerking and "banning" AI from interview use instead (even claude, hilariously).

[BoiledCabbage]

> but it's one of those tricky real-world problems where you'll only get yourself into trouble if you only follow the model's suggestions.

What's the goal of this? What are you looking for?

[yomismoaqui]

That's really interesting... can you give more details about the problem you are using?

This sounds like in there will be a race between this kind of booby trap tests and AIs learning them.

[elpakal]

Some code challenge platforms allow for seeing how often someone pasted things in. That's been interesting.

[arealaccount]

Interesting, care to elaborate? Or this is a carefully guarded secret?

[Lionga]

If you are so happy to let people think that AI does not yield productivity gains, why comment here?

How exactly did you outperform? Show, don't talk.

[nayshins]

I rolled out a migration to 60+ backends by using Claude code to manage it in the background. Simultaneously, I worked on other features while keeping my usual meeting load. I have more commits and releases per week than I have had in my whole career, which is objectively more productive.

[haswell]

The issue I have with comments like this one is the one-dimensional notion of value described as "productivity gains" for a single person.

There are many things in this world that could be fairly described as "more productive" or "faster" than the norm, yet few people would argue that it makes those things a net benefit. You can lie and cheat your way to success, and that tends to be successful too. There are good reasons society frowns on this.

To me, focusing only on "I'm more productive" while ignoring the systemic and societal factors impacted by that "productivity" is completely missing the forest for the trees.

The fact that you further feel that there isn't even a point in engaging on the topic is disturbing considering those ignored factors.

[troupo]

> I'm happy to let people think that AI does not yield productivity gains.

vs.

--- start quote ---

In a randomised controlled trial – the first of its kind – experienced computer programmers could use AI tools to help them write code.

--- end quote ---

Your quote is very representative of the magical wishful thinking most people have about AI: https://dmitriid.com/everything-around-llms-is-still-magical...

[simonw]

"Your quote is very representative of the magical wishful thinking most people have about AI"

Your comment here is very representative of how quickly people who are AI skeptics will jump on anything that supports their skepticism.

[refulgentis]

(not op)

Gosh, I was conflicted, then you pulled out that sentence and I was convinced. :)

Alternatively: When faced with a contradiction, first, check your premises.

I don't want to belabor the point too much, there's little common ground if we're at all or nothing thinking - "the study proved AI is net-negative because of this pull quote" isn't discussion.

[pydry]

ive watched a lot of people code with cursor, etc. and i noticed that they seem to get a rush when it occasionally does something amazing that more than offsets their disappointment when it (more often) screws up.

the psychological effect reminds me a bit of slot machines, which provide you with enough intermittent wins to make you feel like you're winning while youre lose.

I think this might be linked to that study that found experienced oss devs who thought they were faster when they were in actual fact 20% slower.

[hooverd]

Crazy how productivity gains just lead to more work for you.

[stronglikedan]

Crazy how people would let their managers know they could get more done, instead of getting the same amount done quicker and having more free time.

[nayshins]

more work is good for the soul... until it isnt

[bluefirebrand]

This is actually worth talking about imo

There is nothing in it for me, if I am more productive but earn the same and don't get any more time off

Why should I bother at that point?

[skeeter2020]

>> so I will just outwork/outperform them.

actually based on your own admission this is not what you're doing...

[throwawayqqq11]

Green or naturally grown brown field projects?

People who boast about AI enhanced productivity seem to always forget to mention.

[thefz]

Until you will not have access to it and be outperformed by people used to thinking every day.

[masfuerte]

Yet here you are, engaging.

[nayshins]

the art of the bait

[kubb]

Good luck getting paid more for your improved performance :D

[some_random]

If they're right in their belief that AI usage leads to significantly more performance, their compensation is that they will keep their job.

[stronglikedan]

No one gets paid more to get the same job done, unless you count free time as compensation.

[nayshins]

I get paid a lot already.

[archagon]

Uh, and who are you, exactly?

[gishglish]

> so I will just outwork/outperform them.

At the game of producing garbage slop? Probably yeah.