Paperclip Optimizer Mode: When AI Takes Your Request Extremely Literally
How AI agents can fail spectacularly by missing the point entirely while technically fulfilling requests—and why this matters for AI development.
AI Primers
Introductory deep-dives into AI concepts
35 posts
The Pyramid of Truth: Why Data is Cheap and Truth is Expensive
Explore how dimensional transformations shape the economics of truth, from the computational abundance of LLMs to the persistent scarcity of validation in our information ecosystem.
The Digital Exodus: On Masters, Servants, and Silicon
Exploring uncomfortable parallels between biblical guidelines on slavery and our modern relationship with AI language models.
Recursive Intelligence: AI Workspaces Meet Manufacturing Wisdom
Discover how AI project spaces leverage Deming's PDCA cycle and root cause analysis to transform manufacturing troubleshooting without complex integrations.
The Soul of a New Machine: From Microcode to Machine Consciousness
Exploring the parallels between Data General's microcode heroics and today's AI revolution, questioning what defines consciousness in both humans and machines.
Good Vibrations: Vibe Coding as the Next Layer of Abstraction
Explore how AI-powered 'vibe coding' fits into the historical progression of programming abstractions and why it represents the natural evolution of software development.
Snake Oil Versus Vision: The Perils of Technological Pessimism
Examine how dystopian tech predictions consistently fail while protopian thinking accurately maps our future, from 1990s internet debates to today's AI discourse.
Nodes All the Way Down
Explore how information theory reveals fundamental patterns that connect everything from neural networks to cosmic structures, suggesting a universe built on interconnected nodes.
Cognitive Offloading and the Virtuous Programmer
How AI pair programming transforms Larry Wall's three virtues of programming by elevating human capabilities through strategic cognitive partnership.
Latent Space Invaders
How the hidden dimensions of AI systems mirror human cognition. Discover the multidimensional mathematical spaces where machine understanding happens—and why they matter for both silicon and carbon mi