The AI is telling a fictionalized parable that the protagonist can understand. In all probability the programmer actually did something much more complicated and the error was much more opaque to begin with.
Edit: Though on reflection it seems to be an instance of “Don’t take this too seriously as a story of what kind of mistake with AI might lead to a sub-optimal. It’s just meant as an illustration of one kind of sub-optimal outcome.”
The AI is telling a fictionalized parable that the protagonist can understand. In all probability the programmer actually did something much more complicated and the error was much more opaque to begin with.
I love this interpretation of the story.
Edit: Though on reflection it seems to be an instance of “Don’t take this too seriously as a story of what kind of mistake with AI might lead to a sub-optimal. It’s just meant as an illustration of one kind of sub-optimal outcome.”
Hence, the “#4-2” in the title.