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.
They obviously don’t replace the whole kitchen
[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.
My favorite part was all the talk about how the kitchen was going to the size of a closet right next to the idea that you need 100 microwaves to make one good meal. Exactly the tech-bro pitch
We all know everything new is the future. Just look at NFTs.
NFTs are the past. Now LLMs are the future.
nono, it’s all quantum now
NFTs are the past-future. AI is the future-future.
As a microwave enjoyer, this is the perfect analogy twoards big tech’s notion to push new tech for everything.
Pretty sure that’s a response to this: https://www.finalroundai.com/blog/github-ceo-thomas-dohmke-warns-developers-embrace-ai-or-quit
Developers are smart enough that they’ll find out for themselves whether and when AI can be helpful. There is really no need for these CEOs to issue absurd commands that developers use AI (in some unspecified way) or quit. This “microwave” article does a good job of showing how absurd the CEOs’ commands are. They serve no purpose except to convince investors that the appropriate bandwagons are being jumped on, and to convince CEOs that CEOs are important.
https://blog.foxtrotluna.social/theyre-putting-blue-food-coloring-in-everything
A related blog post
We might microwave ourselves soon so he’s not far from truth.
I typically use a microwave to heat already-cooked food, like remains of yesterday’s meal. Or to heat some liquid.
It’s useful. It’s obviously not going to replace a pan or hoven.
