Quoting Terk Terkowitz
Engineers whose work does not benefit from current AI tooling should document the reasons and share with peers and managers. This can help find solutions.
Original reporting · simonwillison.net
Read “Quoting Terk Terkowitz” at Simon Willison →How this was written. GDS wrote this article with a language model from Simon Willison’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Simon Willison’s report
- Engineers should document why their work does not benefit from current AI tooling.
- Sharing findings with peers and managers can help find solutions.
- Explaining AI limitations is a key skill for engineers.
Engineers whose work does not benefit from current AI tooling should view this as a finding rather than a failing, according to Simon Willison. This approach allows them to document why AI is not helpful in their specific context. By doing so, they can share their insights with their community of peers and bring it to the attention of their manager.
Documenting the limitations of AI in their work can be a valuable exercise for engineers. It enables them to explain where AI does not yet provide assistance, which can be an important step in finding alternative solutions. This process also facilitates collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the engineering community.
The ability to explain where AI is not yet helpful is a key skill for engineers. It demonstrates their understanding of the technology and its current limitations. By working together to find solutions, engineers can help advance the development of AI tooling and improve its effectiveness in various contexts.
Questions and answers
What should engineers do if their work does not benefit from current AI tooling?
They should document why and share it with their community of peers and manager.
Why is it important for engineers to explain AI limitations?
It demonstrates their understanding of the technology and its current limitations.

