Re:Ask HN: AI Depression
by 0xecro1 on Friday February 13, 2026 @10:05AM
(#47003524)
I think the comparison is slightly off. The compiler was never the author — it was the verifier.
The real comparison is:
1. Human writes code (non-deterministic, buggy) → compiler catches errors
2. AI writes code (non-deterministic, buggy) → compiler catches errors
In both cases, the author is non-deterministic. We never trusted human-written code without review and compilation either (and + lots of tests). The question isn't whether AI output needs verification — of course it does. The question is whether AI + human review produces better results faster than human alone.
Re:Ask HN: AI Depression
by jacquesm on Friday February 13, 2026 @11:50AM
(#47004801)
The compiler isn't so much a verifier than that it is a translator. The verification step wasn't the initial focus but over time it became more and more important.
Re:Ask HN: AI Depression
by apothegm on Friday February 13, 2026 @10:32AM
(#47003829)
The compiler catches certain classes of errors. And AI can spit out unmaintainable code or code with incorrect logic or giant security holes a lot faster than humans can review it.
The real comparison is: 1. Human writes code (non-deterministic, buggy) → compiler catches errors
2. AI writes code (non-deterministic, buggy) → compiler catches errors
In both cases, the author is non-deterministic. We never trusted human-written code without review and compilation either (and + lots of tests). The question isn't whether AI output needs verification — of course it does. The question is whether AI + human review produces better results faster than human alone.