This article introduces "Solveit," a new course and integrated software platform from Answer.AI, designed to teach an iterative and exploratory approach to problem-solving, particularly in coding. The methodology serves as an antidote to "AI fatigue," where users become dependent on AI-generated code they don't fully understand. The "Solveit approach" is founded on the principles of George Polya's 1945 book "How to Solve It," emphasizing fast feedback loops, breaking down problems into small, verifiable steps, and deep reflection. The platform integrates AI not as a replacement, but as a collaborative partner with "shared context," allowing it to assist with small, specific tasks. A key feature is "dialog engineering," which enables users to edit and curate their interaction with the AI to maintain its usefulness over time. The ultimate goal is to foster deep understanding and skill mastery, empowering users to augment their own abilities rather than becoming reliant on the AI.
Introducing Solveit: A New Approach to AI-Assisted Problem Solving
Announcing 'Solveit': A new five-week course and accompanying platform from Answer.AI (creators of fast.ai) designed to teach a powerful, iterative problem-solving method for tasks like coding, writing, and system administration.
The Antidote to 'AI Fatigue': The approach counters the common pitfall of relying on AI to generate large amounts of code that the user doesn't understand. This avoids building up "technical and understanding debt" that can become crippling.
Inspired by Polya's 'How to Solve It': The methodology is based on George Polya's classic 1945 four-step framework: 1) Understand the problem, 2) Devise a plan, 3) Carry out the plan, and 4) Look back and reflect.
Iterative Coding and Fast Feedback Loops: Users are encouraged to write small, verifiable pieces of code (often just a few lines at a time), check the output of each step immediately, and only combine them into larger functions once the individual parts are confirmed to work.
AI for Collaboration, Not Replacement: The platform integrates AI as a true partner. The key principle is shared context, where the AI can see exactly what the user sees, allowing it to provide targeted help on small steps rather than writing entire solutions.
Dialog Engineering for Better AI Interaction: A core problem with AI chatbots is that they can "go off the rails." The Solveit platform allows users to edit, hide, or pin parts of their conversation with the AI, which helps keep the AI on track and ensures the chat history remains a useful, curated resource.
Focus on Mastery and Deliberate Practice: The system is intentionally designed to encourage learning. When the AI introduces a new concept, the user is encouraged to stop and explore it within the platform, turning every task into an opportunity to build skills and deepen their understanding.
Course Sign-ups Open: Enrollment for the course, which includes full platform access and lessons from Jeremy Howard, Johno Whitaker, and Eric Ries (author of The Lean Startup), is open until October 20th.