A general rule in optimization: auto-tightening systems.

  • A general rule in optimization: auto-tightening systems.
    • Invest effort to optimize it in proportion to how often it's used.
    • For example, in V8, the first pass is a quick-and-dirty compile.
      • But hot code paths (for example, in a loop) get another pass of optimization to make them faster.
      • This insight comes from the original HotSpot Java compiler.
    • Optimize it from generalized/sloppy to specific/tight in proportion to how many times it runs.
    • The same is true for workflows that use LLMs.
    • If it's going to run once, just have an LLM execute an english language prompt.
    • But if you're going to run it thousands of times, have the LLM write deterministic code.
    • Right now we don't have enough real-world last-mile use of AI workflows so we're in the cheap/sloppy phase of deployment, not yet to the auto-tightening parts.

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