alt Hacker News> the paradox is, the LLMs are only useful† if you're Schwartz, and you can't become Schwartz by using LLMs.
That you can't "become Schwartz" by using LLMs is an unproven assumption. Actually, it's a contradiction in the logic of the essay: if Bob managed to produce a valid output by using an LLM at all, then it means that he must have acquired precisely that supervision ability that the essay claims to be necessary.
Btw, note that in the thought experiment Bob isn't just delegating all the work to the LLM. He makes it summarise articles, extract important knowledge and clarify concepts. This is part of a process of learning, not being a passive consumer.
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There's no contradiction, the point is that Bob is able to produce valid output using LLMs, but only while he himself is being supervised; and that he doesn't develop the skills to supervise independently himself in the future.
It doesn't contradict the logic of the essay.
There are flowers that look & smell like female wasps well enough to fool male wasps into "mating" with them. But they don't fly off and lay wasp eggs afterwards.