Stephen Yu

I’m a Software Engineer and work at Canva.
I live in Sydney, Australia.

No Ordinary Calculators. Here’s to an AI Shaped Future

AI is developing at such a rapid pace that I honestly can't recall a time in my career when each month brought new changes and options. These advancements not only improve daily life but also create new businesses seemingly overnight.

Automation is evidently impacting job opportunities for the less fortunate who depend on entry-level roles for their livelihood. This is evident in roles such as table waiting and grocery scanning, where I notice people being replaced by seemingly more efficient methods. Instead of interacting with a waiter, I now scan QR codes and order online. Rather than placing my groceries on a conveyor belt, I scan them myself.

Now, with AI involved, processes we once thought needed a human touch are gradually being phased out. People are being replaced by a few prompts and API calls. That I honestly worry about the next generation where it'll just honestly be tough to earn a living without going into further education!

Do you remember the backlash when calculators first became a thing? Universities and schools feared they would be more of cheating tools than learning aids. But look what actually happened - instead of memorising multiplication tables, students started using calculators as a starting point to grasp complex mathematical ideas.

I've been hooked on this Sudoku app lately. The first time I used it, it felt like cheating. It highlighted used numbers, took notes automatically, and challenged some of the core concepts. But then, the ease helped me tackle insanely tough puzzles that were once beyond my reach.

I see the future of ChatGPT and LLMs as the next generation's calculators. They're well on their way to becoming an essential part of our lives, thus allowing us to concentrate on novel aspects and opportunities. So, what's the harm in a little AI-induced simplification? After all, it's all about working smarter, not harder!

Alternative Frontends for Popular Sites

I've discovered this amazing world of alternative frontends for popular sites minus all their tracking and unnecessary libraries. It results in a faster loading experience, no advertising and no tracking.

One of the largest disadvantages is you lose that algorithm recommendation from your account data but it's a small price when you just read that tweet or watch that single Youtube video.

Here is a list of the alternatives I've been using:

I highly recommend installing this Firefox extension, LibRedirect, to automatically redirect you to the various instances for that site rather than doing it yourself. Also recommend installing several alternatives as PWAs on your phone, giving you quicker access.