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[return to "How does misalignment scale with model intelligence and task complexity?"]
1. smy200+m7[view] [source] 2026-02-03 01:16:07
>>salkah+(OP)
I think It's not because AI working on "misaligned" goals. The user never specify the goal clearly enough for AI system to work.

However, I think producing detailed enough specification requires same or even larger amount of work than writing code. We write rough specification and clarify these during the process of coding. I think there are minimal effort required to produce these specification, AI will not help you speed up these effort.

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2. crabmu+p8[view] [source] 2026-02-03 01:23:41
>>smy200+m7
That makes me wonder about the "higher and higher-level language" escalator. When you're writing in assembly, is it more work to write the code than the spec? And the reverse is true if you can code up your system in Ruby? If so, does that imply anything about the "spec driven" workflow people are using with AIs? Are we right on the cusp where writing natural language specs and writing high level code are comparably productive?
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3. skydha+Xe[view] [source] 2026-02-03 02:05:19
>>crabmu+p8
Programming languages can be a thinking tool for a lot of tasks. Very much like a lot of notation, like music sheet and map drawing. A condensed and somewhat formal manner of describing ideas can increase communication speed. It may lack nuance, but in some case, nuance is harmful.

The nice thing about code compared to other notation is that it's useful on its. You describe an algorithm and the machine can then solve the problem ad infinitum. It's one step instead of the two step of writing a spec and having an LLM translate it, then having to verify the output and alter it.

Assembly and high level languages are equivalent in terms of semantics. The latter helps in managing complexity, by reducing harmful possibilities (managing memory, off-by-one errors) and presenting common patterns (iterators/collections, struct and other data structures, ....) so that categories of problems are easily solved. There's no higher level of computing model unlocked. Just faster level of productivity unlocked by following proven patterns.

Spec driven workflow is a mirage, because even the best specs will leave a lot of unspecified details. Which are crucial as most of programming is making the computer not do the various things it can do.

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4. crabmu+Eg[view] [source] 2026-02-03 02:17:21
>>skydha+Xe
> most of programming is making the computer not do the various things it can do

This is a very stimulating way of putting it!

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