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AI models need a virtual machine

(blog.sigplan.org)
224 points azhenley | 1 comments | 30 Aug 25 13:25 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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mehulashah ◴[30 Aug 25 14:30 UTC] No.45074995[source]▶
I do believe it’s time for systems folks to take a hard look at building systems abstractions on top of LLMs as they did 50 years ago on top of CPUs. LLMs are the new universal computing machines, but we build with them like we built computers in the 1950s - one computer at a time.
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csmpltn ◴[30 Aug 25 14:37 UTC] No.45075043[source]▶
This is the wrong take.

There's a point beyond which LLMs are an overkill, where a simple script or a "classic" program can outdo the LLM across speed, accuracy, scalability, price and more. LLMs aren't supposed to solve "universal computing". They are another tool in the toolbox, and it's all about using the right tool for the problem.

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mehulashah ◴[30 Aug 25 14:40 UTC] No.45075057[source]▶
I shared your opinion for a while. But, that’s not what’s happening. People are using them for everything. When they do, expectations are set. Vendors will adjust and so will the rest of the industry. It’s happening.
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1. Swizec ◴[30 Aug 25 15:15 UTC] No.45075366[source]▶
> People are using them [LLMs] for everything

Yeah and when I was in college, StackOverflow was full of questions like “how do I add 2 numbers with jQuery”. This is normal. The newbies don’t know what they’re doing and with time they will get enough hard knocks to learn. We’ve all gone through this and still are in areas that are new to us.

LLMs aren’t gonna solve the fundamentals: Seniors still gotta senior and newbies still gotta learn.