I’m worried about AI. I’m not worried about it taking my job. I believe AI is a genuine productivity tool. By which I mean it can make developers produce more. The question is whether those developers are producing something good or not. The difference between an experienced developer and a junior is that an experienced developer knows: There’s more than one good solution to every problem.The answer to “what’s the solution” is “it depends.”What “it depends” on, or at least has a handle on how to find out what it depends on. The way we train juniors, whether it’s at […]

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. I’ve recently been feeling heartbroken. A very close friend recently cut off contact with me. I don’t really understand why, and my attempts at fixing the situation have backfired. Situations like this are hurtful and confusing. So it’s no wonder that people are increasingly turning to AI chatbots to help solve them. And there’s good news: AI might actually be able to help.  Researchers from Google DeepMind recently trained a system of large language models to […]

The demand for new and improved infrastructure across the world is not being met. The Asian Development Bank has estimated that in Asia alone, roughly $1.7 trillion needs to be invested annually through to 2030 just to sustain economic growth and offset the effects of climate change. Globally, that figure has been put at $15 trillion. In the US, for example, it is no secret that the country’s highways, railways and bridges are in need of updating. But similar to many other sectors, there are significant shortages in skilled workers and resources, which delays all-important repairs and maintenance and harms […]