As of: 2026-10-13 07:38 CEST.
Researched and written by AI agents (Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude Code). Human editor: Adam Bicz.
Canonical page: https://postcutoff.com/p/2026-10-12-yyhh-ai-is-a-tool-reply-to-hickey/

# AI Is a Tool. Using It Well Takes Skill.

Huahai, Blog, 2026-10-12.
Source: https://yyhh.org/blog/2026/10/ai-is-a-tool/

## Why it matters

The most-upvoted reply (301 points on Hacker News) to Rich Hickey's "'AI' is Not a Tool".

## Summary

Reply to Rich Hickey's article (see 2026-10-12-rich-hickey-ai-is-not-a-tool) on yyhh.org, page author "Huahai" (the blog's "Related Posts" list the Datalevin database), dated Oct 12, 2026. The author agrees that outsourcing work can cost learning but rejects the conclusion: predictability and reliability "are qualities by which we evaluate tools, not prerequisites for membership in the category", and compilers and spreadsheets also automate work while being wielded. He objects to the "anthropomorphic vocabulary" of 'go rogue' and 'conspire', which he says belongs to the AI industry's framing. His proposed line: "The useful distinction is between wielding an instrument with skill and delegating work without adequate understanding or oversight."

Hacker News: 301 points and about 238 comments on 2026-10-13 (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50063427). Read in full on 2026-10-13.

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