Generative AI Divides Computer Scientists' Perspectives

On January 18, 2026, computer scientist Scott Aaronson recounts a vivid dream in which a fellow CS professor vehemently denounces generative AI as mere lookup-table 'slop' that disguises statistical recombination with token-prediction models. Aaronson counters that many researchers and practitioners use these tools daily for coding and research, and argues that dismissing their scientific and philosophical significance as 'garbage' mischaracterizes their practical impact.