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# AI: The Point of Highest Reality
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/point-of-highest-reality/
- Published: 2026-08-18T03:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-18T04:49:45.000Z
- Description: Meeting the AI moment does not require new best practices: it requires rigorous application of the same software development best practices we've always had.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: Commentary, AI

> “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.”

― C.S. Lewis, [*The Screwtape Letters*](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2920952)

This quote from C.S. Lewis (best known as the author of *The Chronicles of Narnia* series) is my favorite framing of the word "courage."

For four years at West Point, we were constantly implored to "choose the harder right over the easier wrong." This definition of courage exemplifies that mantra. It's easy to pay lip service to other virtues, such as honesty, loyalty, duty, and selfless service, when the cost to follow them is low. Courage is having the strength to follow those same virtues when the stakes are highest.

Those moments–*those "point\[s\] of highest reality"*–are when our choices carry the most consequences.

And so it is with AI.

## AI as a Force Multiplier

In the Army, we often talked about force multipliers.

A force multiplier can be anything that increases the effectiveness of a unit: a weapon platform, cutting-edge technology, a great leader, or even favorable weather conditions. The concept typically carries a positive connotation, but a charismatic leader can inspire large groups to wicked ends. 

When you apply a force multiplier to something, **all you're guaranteed is that you will get more of that thing**–whether or not that thing is good is a different question.

AI is the greatest force multiplier the world has ever seen.

It is not (yet) the most *impactful* technology–inventions like the wheel, fire, electricity, the engine, and the internet have all had a greater cumulative impact on humanity. But none of those things delivered that impact *as quickly* as AI.

It's like we went to bed one night with a drawer full of butter knives and woke up the next morning with a kitchen full of self-propelled chainsaws.

## Harnessing "Phenomenal Cosmic Power"...

In the [climax of the original *Aladdin* Disney movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e10S9dLhG5M), the eponymous hero tricks the evil wizard, Jafar, into wishing to become an "all-powerful genie." His wish is granted, but it comes with a catch–he must spend eternity confined to a magic lamp. While the villain is flexing his newfound powers, the lamp materializes and sucks him into captivity. 

With the wizard fully ensconced, Aladdin delivers the movie's money line:

> "**Phenomenal cosmic power!** ... Itty-bitty living space."

When I write code with AI, I sometimes feel like I'm wielding the power of a magic genie.

## ...with Boring Best Practices

While AI benefits from some novel approaches to software development, the overwhelming majority of techniques for safely and effectively harnessing AI are time-worn best practices, such as:

- [Version Control](https://nolongerset.com/tag/version-control/)
- [Test-Driven Development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test-driven%5Fdevelopment)
- [Functional Core, Imperative Shell pattern](https://nolongerset.com/fcis/)
- [Automated off-site backups](https://nolongerset.com/write-only-backups/)
- [Principle of least privilege](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle%5Fof%5Fleast%5Fprivilege)
- [Application logging](https://nolongerset.com/clslog/)
- [Doc tests](https://nolongerset.com/python-inspired-doc-tests-in-vba/)
- [Limited use of global state](https://nolongerset.com/proper-use-of-global-state/)
- [Prioritizing certain types of bugs](https://nolongerset.com/some-bugs-are-better-than-others/)
- [Avoiding the accumulation of technical debt](https://nolongerset.com/sources-of-technical-debt/)
- Maintaining separate production vs. dev vs. test data environments

Each of the above practices improves the quality and reliability of software when writing code by hand (you know, the "old-fashioned way"). But, ultimately, the damage you could do by ignoring them was limited by your own productivity.

With AI, though, there is no limit to the damage you can do. Taking shortcuts has a much greater cost.

And yet, it turns out that AI coding has very few best practices that differ from traditional best practices.

One might even say, 

> AI safety is not simply one of the best practices but the form of every best practice at the testing point, which means at the point of greatest consequence.