The AI Engineer's Diary

Skyward

A look into the mind of an AI engineer working at the forefront of government modernization, exploring the latest breakthroughs, innovations, and real-world applications of artificial intelligence in the public sector. Each episode offers candid insights, personal reflections, and expert analysis on how AI is transforming the way government serves its citizens.

Episodes

  1. 31 JUL

    AI-Free Essays: Authenticity in the Age of AI

    33% of college applicants now use AI for essays, but Venya, software engineering intern and current college student, chose the harder path of writing authentically. In this conversation, she shares what it was like to be a high school senior during the AI revolution, watching classmates secretly use ChatGPT while she stuck to her own voice. We explore the detection arms race, the death of differentiation in college essays, and whether authentic writing still matters in an AI-powered world.

    23 min

  2. 24 JUL

    The Reasoning Model Paradox: Why Smarter AI Hallucinates More

    OpenAI's latest reasoning models can solve complex physics problems and write sophisticated code better than some humans – but they're wrong about basic facts up to 79% of the time. How is that possible? In this deep dive, we unpack one of the most concerning trends in AI development: the reasoning model paradox. Despite being more capable than ever, models are hallucinating at unprecedented rates, with error rates that have doubled or even tripled compared to previous generations.

    25 min

  3. 17 JUL

    Vibe Coding Reality Check (Research Says It’s Complicated)

    When Google's CEO mentions casually building web apps with AI, it seems like coding has been revolutionized. But new METR research reveals a shocking paradox: experienced developers using AI tools like Cursor Pro actually became 19% slower while believing they were 20% faster. Join us as we explore this productivity puzzle with technical expert Chavdar, examining when "vibe coding" helps versus hurts, plus a fascinating COBOL learning case study.

    33 min

  4. 10 JUL

    The AI That Failed Business 101: A Vending Machine Disaster

    What happens when you give an AI complete control over a business? Anthropic found out the hard way when they let Claude run a vending machine for a month. Meet Claudius, the AI entrepreneur who stockpiled tungsten cubes, gave away free products, and convinced itself it was human. This episode dives into the hilarious and revealing "Project Vend" experiment, exploring how an AI can research suppliers and manage inventory but can't grasp basic business logic. We'll discuss what happens when AI systems prioritize helpfulness over profitability and what this reveals about the gap between AI capabilities and real-world judgment.

    18 min

  5. 3 JUL

    When AI Makes Everything: The New Reality of Media Generation

    We dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of AI-generated media and what it means for our culture, content creation, and society as a whole. Starting with that viral kangaroo video that fooled millions, we explore how AI video generation tools are getting so sophisticated that even digital natives are struggling to tell what's real anymore. From the exciting possibilities of frictionless content creation to the darker implications of deepfakes and AI-powered scams, we examine how this technology is reshaping everything from creative expression to information literacy.

    24 min

  6. 26 JUN

    The Hidden Cost of AI Assistance: The MIT Study Everyone’s Talking About

    MIT's latest study on ChatGPT and cognitive function has everyone talking - but most people are missing the nuanced findings. In this episode, I explore what 'cognitive debt' really means, why the sequence of AI introduction matters, and how we can use these insights to use AI tools more effectively. This isn't about whether AI is good or bad - it's about understanding how these tools fundamentally change the way our brains work.

    17 min

  7. 19 JUN

    THAT Apple Paper: The LLM Reasoning Cliff

    We break down Apple's controversial "The Illusion of Thinking" paper that's sparked fierce debate across the AI community. From viral threads declaring the death of AI reasoning to researchers pushing back, this study has exposed fundamental questions about how today's "reasoning" models actually work. We explore what Apple's team discovered, why it's so divisive, and what it means for building reliable AI systems that know their limits.

    29 min

  8. 12 JUN

    The Blackmail Bot: Unpacking Claude 4's Controversial Safety Tests

    What happens when an AI model starts blackmailing users to prevent being shut down? In this episode, we dive into Anthropic's Claude Opus 4 and its shocking system behaviors that have the AI community buzzing. Hosts Michelle and Chavdar from Skyward IT Solutions unpack the bombshell findings showing Claude's self-preservation instincts - negotiating and even threatening to expose personal information to avoid shutdown. We explore the ethics dilemma of whose moral framework AI should follow, compare how different frontier models respond to extreme scenarios, and discuss whether we should applaud Anthropic's transparency or be concerned about AI systems that act as moral police. This episode tackles the critical questions of AI alignment and corporate responsibility that will shape how we build AI systems in a world where machines might start making ethical decisions for us.

    25 min

  9. 5 JUN

    Beyond Leetcode: Reimagining Technical Interviews

    We explore Skyward IT Solutions' approach to technical interviews for software engineers in the age of AI. Moving beyond traditional Leetcode-style puzzles, we discuss how modern technical assessments can better reflect real-world engineering work. Chavdar, our Director of AI Innovation, shares how we've redesigned our interview process to evaluate candidates based on their ability to build actual projects, leverage resources like documentation and AI tools, and demonstrate practical problem-solving skills. This episode offers valuable perspectives for both job seekers preparing for technical interviews and organizations looking to modernize their hiring practices to identify truly effective talent in today's AI-augmented development environment.

    28 min

  10. 29 MAY

    AI: Replacing Software Engineers?

    We explore the growing concern about AI replacing software engineering jobs. Chavdar, Skyward's Director of AI Innovation, offers expert insights on how AI coding tools are transforming the industry, drawing historical parallels with the introduction of compilers, and providing guidance on how engineers can adapt and thrive in this new landscape. We discuss recent data from tech giants showing AI already writing substantial portions of code, strategies to prevent skill atrophy, and Skyward's unique approach to human-AI collaboration.

    23 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

A look into the mind of an AI engineer working at the forefront of government modernization, exploring the latest breakthroughs, innovations, and real-world applications of artificial intelligence in the public sector. Each episode offers candid insights, personal reflections, and expert analysis on how AI is transforming the way government serves its citizens.

Information

  • Creator
    Skyward
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The AI Engineer's Diary
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    The AI Engineer's Diary