SHIFTAI·Jul 7, 2026, 4:00 AMSignal90Short term

Empirical Computation: Prompting versus Programming

Source: arXiv cs.AI

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Empirical Computation: Prompting versus Programming

arXiv:2503.10954v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Large Language Model (LLM) agents can solve *any* computational problem *without* an algorithm in a runtime *independent* of the computational complexity of that problem. Instead of specifying precisely how to solve problem instance using *programming*, we ask an LLM to solve the problem instance using *prompting*. Outputs are sampled from a distribution rather than generated procedurally. In this vision paper, we explore the challenges and opportunities of this new form of computation and observe that its capabilities and limits *canno

Why this matters
Why now

The paper from arXiv cs.AI, published in 2026, posits a fundamental shift in computational paradigms, highlighting advancements in LLM capabilities.

Why it’s important

This concept suggests a move from algorithmic programming to large language model prompting, potentially rendering traditional computational complexity irrelevant for many problems.

What changes

The method of problem-solving fundamentally changes from explicit instruction to emergent sampling, altering the landscape of software development and problem-solving.

Winners
  • · LLM developers
  • · Prompt engineering specialists
  • · Industries with complex, ill-defined problems
  • · AI compute providers
Losers
  • · Traditional software developers reliant on algorithmic precision
  • · Legacy programming languages and frameworks
  • · Education systems focused solely on procedural programming
  • · Workflows optimized for linear, deterministic processes
Second-order effects
Direct

Companies will re-evaluate their software development methodologies and invest heavily in LLM integration.

Second

A new class of 'computational problem-solvers' will emerge, skilled in framing problems for LLMs rather than writing code.

Third

The very definition of 'computation' and its limits will be re-examined, leading to potential philosophical and scientific shifts.

Editorial confidence: 95 / 100 · Structural impact: 85 / 100
Original report

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Read at arXiv cs.AI
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