Latest news with #Sanfilippo
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Human coders are still better than AI, says this expert developer
Your team members may be tempted to rely on AI to help them write code for your company, either for cost or speed rationales or because they lack particular expertise. But you should be wary. — Pixabay In the complex 'will AI steal my job?' debate, software developers are among the workers most immediately at risk from powerful AI tools. It's certainly looking like the tech sector wants to reduce the number of humans working those jobs. Bold statements from the likes of Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Anthropic's Dario Amodei support this since both of them say AI is already able to take over some code-writing roles. But a new blog post from a prominent coding expert strongly disputes their arguments, and supports some AI critics' position that AI really can't code. Salvatore Sanfilippo, an Italian developer who created Redis (an online database which calls itself the 'world's fastest data platform' and is beloved by coders building real-time apps), published a blog post this week, provocatively titled 'Human coders are still better than LLMs.' His title refers to large language model systems that power AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. Sanfilippo said he's 'not anti-AI' and actually does 'use LLMs routinely,' and explained some specific interactions he'd had with Google's Gemini AI about writing code. These left him convinced that AIs are 'incredibly behind human intelligence,' so he wanted to make a point about it. The billions invested in the technology and the potential upending of the workforce mean it's 'impossible to have balanced conversations' on the matter, he wrote. Sanfilippo blogged that he was trying to 'fix a complicated bug' in Redis's systems. He made an attempt himself, and then asked Gemini, 'hey, what we can do here? Is there a super fast way' to implement his fix? Then, using detailed examples of the kind of software he was working with and the problem he was trying to fix, he blogged about the back-and-forth dialogue he had with Gemini as he tried to coax it toward an acceptable answer. After numerous interactions where the AI couldn't improve on his idea or really help much, he said he 'asked Gemini to do an analysis of (his last idea, and it was finally happy.' We can ignore the detailed code itself and just concentrate on Sanfilippo's final paragraph. 'All this to say: I just finished the analysis and stopped to write this blog post, I'm not sure if I'm going to use this system (but likely yes), but, the creativity of humans still have an edge, we are capable of really thinking out of the box, envisioning strange and imprecise solutions that can work better than others,' he wrote. 'This is something that is extremely hard for LLMs.' Gemini was useful, he admitted, to simply 'verify' his bug-fix ideas, but it couldn't outperform him and actually solve the problem itself. This stance from an expert coder goes up against some other pro-AI statements. Zuckerberg has said he plans to fire mid-level coders from Meta to save money, employing AI instead. In March, Amodei hit the headlines when he boldly predicted that all code would be written by AIs inside a year. Meanwhile, on the flip side, a February report from Microsoft warned that young coders coming out of college were already so reliant on AI to help them that they failed to understand the hard computer science behind the systems they were working on –something that may trip them up if they encountered a complex issue like Sanfilippo's bug. Commenters on a piece talking about Sanfilippo's blog post on coding news site Hacker News broadly agreed with his argument. One commenter likened the issue to a popular meme about social media: 'You know that saying that the best way to get an answer online is to post a wrong answer? That's what LLMs do for me.' Another writer noted that AIs were useful because even though they give pretty terrible coding advice, 'It still saves me time, because even 50 percent accuracy is still half that I don't have to write myself.' Lastly, another coder pointed out a very human benefit from using AI: 'I have ADHD and starting is the hardest part for me. With an LLM it gets me from 0 to 20% (or more) and I can nail it for the rest. It's way less stressful for me to start now.' Why should you care about this? At first glance, it looks like a very inside-baseball discussion about specific coding issues. You should care because your team members may be tempted to rely on AI to help them write code for your company, either for cost or speed rationales or because they lack particular expertise. But you should be wary. AIs are known to be unreliable, and Sanfilippo's argument, supported by other coders' comments, point out that AI really isn't capable of certain key coding tasks. For now, at least, coders' jobs may be safe… and if your team does use AI to code, they should double and triple check the AI's advice before implementing it in your IT system. – Inc./Tribune News Service
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sanfilippo claims Dem nomination in Erie city controller's race
Democrat Brooke Sanfilippo claimed her party's nomination for Erie city controller in the May 20 municipal primary, setting up a November showdown with Republican Matt Strupczewski, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. According to unofficial vote totals from the Erie County Courthouse, Sanfilippo, a 46-year-old pension and 401(k) administration manager, garnered 3,795 votes, or 39.03%, ahead of two current members of Erie City Council, Ed Brzezinski (3,250 votes) and Chuck Nelson (2,654 votes). Erie elections: Four controller candidates state why you should vote for them Current City Controller Teresa Stankiewicz, a Democrat, is prohibited from running again because of the city's limit of three consecutive terms. The city controller currently earns $38,000 annually. However, City Council in September approved a 97% yearly salary boost for the controller's post, increasing that salary to $75,000 a year. The city's controller watches over various aspects of city finances, including contracts, purchase orders and pension funds. The controller is also tasked with verifying/auditing city records and accounts. Replay: Coverage of the Erie County municipal primary on May 20 "City council voted to make the salary higher so they could attract a more qualified candidate. I think I am that candidate," Sanfilippo said. "We worked hard on this campaign. We've been in every neighborhood in Erie (campaigning) and I feel that we really succeeded tonight." Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@ Follow him on X at @ETNflowers. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Sanfilippo, Strupczewski score wins in Erie controller's race
Arabian Post
04-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Redis Reinstates Open Source Status with AGPLv3 Licensing
Redis, the widely used in-memory data store, has reinstated its open source status by adopting the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 for its core software. This move, effective with the release of Redis 8.0, marks a significant shift from its previous dual-license model and aims to mend strained relations with the developer community. The decision to revert to an open source license follows a period of contention that began in March 2024 when Redis transitioned from the permissive BSD 3-Clause License to a dual-license model comprising the Redis Source Available License and the Server Side Public License . This change restricted certain commercial uses, particularly by cloud service providers, leading to criticism from the open source community and the emergence of forks like Valkey. Salvatore Sanfilippo, the original creator of Redis, who had stepped away from the project in 2020, rejoined the company in November 2024 as a developer evangelist. His return played a pivotal role in guiding the project back to its open source roots. Sanfilippo expressed satisfaction with the licensing change, emphasizing a renewed commitment to community engagement and open development practices. The adoption of AGPLv3 is intended to align Redis more closely with the expectations of its user base and to foster a more collaborative development environment. This license ensures that any modifications made to the software, even when used over a network, are shared with the community, thus promoting transparency and shared innovation. Redis 8.0 introduces several enhancements, including performance improvements and new features that cater to modern application requirements. The release also integrates Redis Stack, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for developers. By consolidating these offerings under an open source license, Redis aims to streamline its ecosystem and encourage broader adoption. See also Open-Source PiEEG Kit Brings Neuroscience Research to Home Labs The company's leadership has indicated that there are no plans to alter the current licensing model, suggesting a stable and predictable framework for users and contributors moving forward. This stability is expected to reassure organizations that rely on Redis for critical infrastructure, as well as developers who contribute to its ongoing development.
Los Angeles Times
26-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
‘Chaos created by uncertainty.' Tariffs hit a company that lights Hollywood — and Congress
For two decades, Jim Sanfilippo has designed high-wattage, specialized LED lights for stadiums, the U.S. House of Representatives and Hollywood film and television productions, including the James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace.' Now the Pasadena small-business owner is bracing for uncertainty as the U.S. confronts its highest average effective tariff rate in nearly a century. President Trump's new trade policies, including a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, will affect every imported piece of the company's energy-efficient lights, most of which are assembled in Pasadena from parts made in Asia. That includes the light-emitting diodes, the circuit boards and the durable metal housing that protects the lights in news vans and on film sets. 'It's chaos created by uncertainty,' Sanfilippo said. Not knowing whether the new tariffs are a permanent policy or a negotiating position has made it impossible to plan, he said, and customers at his company, Nila, are waiting to place orders. That's one example, said U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), who toured Nila on Friday, of 'what chaos and what kind of economic downturn' Trump's tariff policies could yield for small businesses. That included a 10% across-the-board tariff on imports from every country, and even higher rates for dozens of countries, until they were temporarily suspended in early April. Some countries, including Canada and China, have retaliated by imposing their own tariffs on American goods, putting California businesses — including farmers in the Central Valley and workers in Hollywood — on high alert. Trump has said he thinks tariffs are needed to reduce the trade deficit with other countries, bring back domestic manufacturing and protect American industries. He has recently signaled that tariffs may change again, telling reporters this week that the 145% rate on Chinese goods is 'very high, and it won't be that high — not gonna be that high. No, it won't be anywhere near that high. It'll come down substantially, but it won't be zero.' The morning after the election, Sanfilippo said he began rushing orders from suppliers, including a final order just before the inauguration that he paid an extra $17,000 to ship by air. Air cargo takes two to three days from Asia, he said, while sea shipping takes three to seven weeks. Now, he said, 'If I tried to get more power supplies for any one of these lights, right now, there's going to be a separate line item for tariffs, and that number will change based on the day that I get the shipment.' That advance planning bought Sanfilippo some breathing room. He has enough supplies to fill about two years of orders for his smallest and most popular lights, and about six months of orders for the larger and more expensive lights used by news vans and high-speed photographers. What will happen to multimillion-dollar projects is up in the air, he said. Nila has designed the lighting for several stadiums, including the Carson home of the L.A. Galaxy and a Houston stadium for the men's and women's professional soccer teams. He said he has an open order with the U.S. Senate recording studio, where lawmakers film interviews. The company has also lit the press briefing room at Camp David, several committee rooms for both chambers of Congress and the main chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives. In its first decade of operation, Nila used American manufacturers for most parts, relying on a machinist in Temecula for the metal housing and a plant in North Carolina for the LEDs. The company moved to overseas vendors about a decade ago as U.S. prices rose and factories closed. Returning to domestic manufacturing would send Nila's prices soaring, Sanfilippo said. A compact light about the size of a Kleenex box, used on TV and movie sets, retails for about $1,000, but would rise to 10 times that if all the parts were made in the U.S., he said. One plant that makes parts for Sanfilippo's lights in Shenzhen, China, is exploring the possibility of opening a facility in Mexico, he said. The country's lower wages would give the factory a discount on skilled labor, as well as faster transportation times and a lower tariff rate for exports to the U.S. Typically, every Nila light passes through the U.S. for assembly and quality control, Sanfilippo said. He's now preparing to avoid the U.S. tariff system as much as he can, beefing up his roster of international clients and shipping products directly to them from China. He said he'll also be building his consulting business for American companies that want to reduce their energy use, although the orders they eventually place would also come from China.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
East TN family starts charitable foundation as daughter battles rare disease
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — It was a packed house at Yee-Haw Brewing in North Knoxville as hundreds gathered to show their support for the Begbie family and others who have children with Sanfilippo syndrome. Rowan Begbie's parents, Bryan and Blair, said their daughter is fearless and loves her family as she battles this disease that's described as childhood Alzheimer's. 'She's so full of life. She loves people. She connects with people. She loves her siblings so incredibly much,' Bryan and Blair said. 'She's fearless, which can be a bad thing. Right now, she's just doing so well.' Parents of slain teen advocate for mental health reform as suspect appears in court Rowan, was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome last year. The three-year-old and her family now making numerous trips to North Carolina to take part in a clinical trial. 'There's only about 12 kids in the U.S. receiving this specific treatment,' Bryan explained. 'We drive there the afternoon before infusions, then we have a full infusion day from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and then we drive home. We couldn't be happier with the team of physicians and nurses that care for her.' What is Sanfilippo syndrome? It is a rare genetic disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. This disorder impacts one in 50,000 to one in 250,000 people worldwide and has a variety of different symptoms. 'MPS, or mucopolysaccharidosis, is a metabolism disorder where Rowan does not produce the enzyme that breaks down a toxin that builds up in her body, primarily her brain, which leads to behavioral issues, cognitive decline and a number of other unfortunate symptoms.' Knoxville woman faces eviction due to daughter's behavior at apartment complex The Begbie family has started a foundation in Rowan's honor called the Rowan Tree Foundation of East Tennessee as a way to help raise money to find a treatment for Sanfilippo and help other families who have children with the disorder. Bryan and Blair said the support they have received, not just during the event, is incredible. 'It's overwhelming, we've seen friends and people from every corner of our lives show up for us over the last year and it's been absolutely amazing,' they said. 'We have super generous and talented people that surround us and love us that helped us put today together.' The family told 6 News that there are five families in East Tennessee that have a child with Sanfilippo syndrome. Bryan said they initially got a call from a mutual friend with concern about Rowan on April 1 last year. They did the genetic testing which showed the mutation for the disease, and she was officially diagnosed on April 26. ▶ See more top stories on Money spent tonight on merchandise, silent auction and drinks will go toward research for Sanfilippo syndrome. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
