Comment by antonvs
5 hours ago
I’ve learned tons since I started using LLMs. They’re an amazing tool for learning as long as you use them like that. Ask it questions about things you don’t understand. Verify the answers. Don’t have them do everything for you. Figure out where to push back on what they’re producing.
When I learned to code, learning from existing code was a big part of it. One difference now is you can produce custom code to learn from.
I’m starting to think the biggest skill we need to teach people in this new age is how to learn and how to research. If you already know how to do that well, LLMs are a fantastic addition to the toolbox. If you don’t, then you’re stuck with a tool that’s going to replace your skill instead of augment it.
Like I said, you can ask an LLM about wood all day but if you don't pick up a saw you won't learn to make anything. I do, of course, use LLMs for research and learning, but I'm specifically talking about learning to program. LLMs can't cut the wood for you, but they can write your program for you. If you can resist and just use them to learn then sure, but you've got to do something yourself.