Thread

1. sailingparrot · 1790095545 · focus · HN ↗

   > Claude Opus 5.5 is our first release since we called for pacing the frontier.

   Interesting how the very first line is used to remind the reader of their call to pace the frontier just last week, and everything else after that line is to demonstrate with very specific numbers how they absolutely are not pacing.

   1. mukmuk · 1790096500 · focus · HN ↗

      “Pacing the frontier” sounds smarmy and weird, like the phrase was generated by Claude itself

      1. Dumblydorr · 1790097190 · focus · HN ↗

         What specifically is smarmy and weird? Sounds like your own hot take with zero analysis.

         They’re limiting frontier model development speed. Others are too. Pacing is the only word here to criticize, and I think it’s fine given the limiting of speed but also increased oversight. I’m not saying they’re fully doing this, but the term is fine.

         Do you have a better proposed phrase?

         1. plaidfuji · 1790098355 · focus · HN ↗

            “… since we called for a slowdown in AI research”

            But stating it plainly like this would make the contradiction too obvious.

         2. Rebelgecko · 1790098391 · focus · HN ↗

            I thought pacing is just walking back and forth? So pacing the frontier would be like staying in the same place instead of making progress

            1. lkbm · 1790099308 · focus · HN ↗

               It is that, but it's also your speed. When running, you typically pick a pace that's slower than your max, so it can be sustained for the full distance.

               "Pace yourself" specifically means "slow down".

               1. nradov · 1790107827 · focus · HN ↗

                  "Pace yourself" doesn't specifically mean "slow down", it actually means to maximize your speed across the full race. In other words it can mean speeding up when you look at the average pace across the entire event.

                  1. usef- · 1790118095 · focus · HN ↗

                     Yes, and pacing also stops you running too fast at the beginning of the race and blowing up. I believe "we can finish the overall race faster" is part of the metaphor they were aiming for.

                     1. nradov · 1790118745 · focus · HN ↗

                        Nah, they just want their competitors to slow down.
                  2. lkbm · 1790341642 · focus · HN ↗

                     It does, but "pace yourself" is something we say to kids (for example) to tell them to slow down because they're going too fast. We don't tell people to pace themselves because they're going too slow.
            2. usef- · 1790116438 · focus · HN ↗

               Look up the concept of a pace car in racing, or pacer runner in marathons. That's the metaphor.

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