This feels somewhat similar to medical research with and without a detailed understanding of cell biochemistry. You can get very far without a deep understanding of the low level details and often this seems to be the best method for producing useful drugs (as I understand it most drugs are discovered through trial and error).
But understanding the low level details can get you important breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines. And if you’re maybe betting the future of humanity that you can create a cure for a new type of deadly virus (superintelligent AI) on the first try you would prefer to be confident that you know what you’re doing.
This feels somewhat similar to medical research with and without a detailed understanding of cell biochemistry. You can get very far without a deep understanding of the low level details and often this seems to be the best method for producing useful drugs (as I understand it most drugs are discovered through trial and error).
But understanding the low level details can get you important breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines. And if you’re maybe betting the future of humanity that you can create a cure for a new type of deadly virus (superintelligent AI) on the first try you would prefer to be confident that you know what you’re doing.