Half Stack Data Science S04E02 - Programming with AI - with Simon Willison
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Mar 31, 2025 In this conversation, Simon Willison, creator of Datasette and co-creator of Django, discusses his passion for building open-source tools for data journalism. He shares insights on blending AI with coding to empower journalists and the benefits of local large language models. Simon also dives into the transformation AI brings to programming and education, stressing the importance of foundational knowledge. Plus, he shares playful interactions with AI, revealing its creative potential and limitations. Expect intriguing thoughts on technology and journalism!
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Independent Work
- Simon Willison, fiercely independent, focuses on open-source tools for data journalism.
- His goal: software that helps win a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.
LLMs for Non-Programmers
- LLMs empower non-programmers to perform complex computer tasks.
- This could revolutionize data journalism by enabling those without coding skills to analyze data.
Criticism of LLMs for All
- Some criticize giving powerful LLM tools to less-skilled individuals as reckless.
- They argue it causes more harm than good.
