This is a really intriguing idea, because I actually often use LLMs in this fashion, forcing them to not provide any code or direct answers, and instead walk through the process iteratively, while manually implementing and taking the time to write the code myself. Slower work, but better work.
I agree with the warning, as this is fairly disturbing stuff that is discussed, but it's something we need to see and know what is happening.
The quote from the Florida AG at the start was a gut punch:
"If it was a person on the other end of that screen, we'd be charging them with murder."
(the answer is no)
The ProgramBench setup: give a SOTA model, using a generic harness, an executable and its usage documentation. Then ask it to reproduce the executable’s behavior.
Results
Even when agents make progress toward a working solution, they produce what we might call “monolithic monsters.” Where humans write 15+ modular files, agents often cram the implementation into 1–3 “god files.” They also write around 70% fewer functions, making those functions nearly twice as long as human-written code.
This was a random YouTube rec to me, and it was really captivating from beginning to end. Ed is mentioned, as well! The guy is a great videographer and is extremely eloquent. He highlights the gap between the hype and public sentiment and acceptance of AI in general and makes a good case that the industry is facing pullback across the board.
Custom Blocks were very intimidating for me when I was getting started, especially since I wasn't super versed in React/JSX at the time.
Tutorials are great, but I personally learn best by getting working code that I can reverse-engineer and experiment with. I wished something like this existed back when I was getting started, so I decided to build it for others that might have the same challenges and like to learn in similar ways.
This tool is geared towards:
Perhaps it is past its time with LLMs, but I still think there's tremendous value in knowing the inner workings of things.
Being able to build custom WP blocks was a game changer for me, though, and really opened up a level of customization in WordPress that I didn't know was possible.
https://github.com/cheestudio/wp-block-composer
Would love any and all feedback, of course. I have more plans for it, but I think its in a place where it can be helpful even in its current state.
P.S. It was also my first foray into a custom Vue app, too. Which as a React dev for the past half-decade, I have to say I really enjoyed using and can't wait to do another.
Ed is quoted in this article.
Also, TIL Ed was previously a columnist for Business Insider.
From the site: A catalog of startup disasters, vibe-coded humiliations, and "slop"-ey executive decisions that blew up in production. Let the ghosts that haunt the Vibe Graveyard be a reminder of why *real* developers are worth more than your entire token budget combined.
I thought this was a solid aggregate of news stories that are flying under the radar.