csmeyerLLMs are the ultimate demoware
https://blog.charliemeyer.co/llms-are-the-ultimate-demoware/
It's wild to me that, of all the things to call LLMs out for, this piece has chosen to include math tutoring. I've been doing Math Academy for a bit over 6 months now, going from (essentially) Algebra II through Calc II (integration by parts, arc lengths, Taylor expansions) and LLMs have been a huge part of what has made that effective:
* Clear explanation of concepts that respond to questions and reformulate when things bounce
* Step-by-step verification of solutions, spotting exactly where calculations have gone
* Instantaneously generating new problem sets to reinforce concepts
LLMs are probably not going to live up to all sorts of claims their proponents make. But I don't think you can ever have tried to use an LLM in a math course and reach the conclusion that it's "demoware" for that application. At what point, over 6 months of continuous work, does it stop being a "demo"?
Offtopic, but do you have any comparison to math academy to something like Khan, or other platforms? MA seems a bit expensive for someone just wanting to improve a general skill, but perhaps it's well worth it? I thought Khan was also investing in similar AI offerings, so i'm curious how they intersect
Khan never clicked for me, and while the cost of Math Academy is below my noise floor (when you back it out to $/hr of engagement) as an adult professional in his prime earning years, I should also add that the cost is also a motivator: I've never been tempted to take a break, in part because I'm on the meter.