Update 8/8/2025 – I wrote this the day before a certain post by a popular developer services company. I’ve seen some comments this is a rebuttal – it wasn’t meant to be! But…
This is a good analogy because microwaves are useful tools and are frequently found in restaurant kitchens. They obviously don’t replace the whole kitchen, but they absolutely provide value so long as you don’t overuse them.
At home, I generally heat leftovers most of the way in the microwave and then finish them in the air fryer or in a pan. It’s much faster than any other method and the quality is fine, just remember to stir periodically and use the right power level to ensure even heating.
I think LLMs can likewise be productively used as part of a process to get most of the way there, granted you finish it up manually. The problem comes when you try to make it the entire value stream. That’s like nuking something for 5 minutes and eating it immediately; you’ll have hot and cold spots and no texture.
This is a good analogy because microwaves are useful tools and are frequently found in restaurant kitchens. They obviously don’t replace the whole kitchen, but they absolutely provide value so long as you don’t overuse them.
At home, I generally heat leftovers most of the way in the microwave and then finish them in the air fryer or in a pan. It’s much faster than any other method and the quality is fine, just remember to stir periodically and use the right power level to ensure even heating.
I think LLMs can likewise be productively used as part of a process to get most of the way there, granted you finish it up manually. The problem comes when you try to make it the entire value stream. That’s like nuking something for 5 minutes and eating it immediately; you’ll have hot and cold spots and no texture.
[Laughs in Applebees and Red Lobster]
Or so I’m told. Applebees seems like they’d need to actually grill some stuff as well.
That’s the other reason it’s a great analogy, Chef Mike is pretty central in a lot of kitchens.