Zstdify: Pure TypeScript Zstd
Today, I built a pure-TypeScript Zstandard implementation (library + CLI + dictionary training + interop tests) in just 4 hours using OpenAI Codex 5.3.
Ben Houston •
Posts tagged: ai
Origins of Exocortex
The story of how I coined the term "exocortex" in 1999 to describe a synthetic cognitive regulator: a technological layer that joins the brain's regulatory hierarchy and helps govern attention and reasoning.
Ben Houston •
From Agents to Intent
AI coding agents are great at greenfield tasks -- but struggle to maintain or modify existing systems. The problem isn’t the model. It’s the paradigm. This essay makes the case for intent-based programming: a shift from task-driven implementation to declarative specification, powered by systems like Declary.
Ben Houston •
Generic Builder
The Generic Builder is a configurable meta‑builder that creates specialized builders on demand, solving the chicken‑and‑egg problem of intent‑based toolkits. This essay explains its design, the router agent, and a chat‑driven workflow that bridges conversational intent with structured files.
Ben Houston •
Sufficient Specifications
Traditional specifications failed because they required exhaustive detail. With LLMs, we can now embrace "Sufficient Specification" - providing just enough intent to guide generation without drowning in details. Learn how iterative specification specificity and generator patterns make intent-based programming practical for the first time.
Ben Houston •
Recursive Intent
Recursive generation allows intent-based programming toolkits to ingest their own outputs and build entire applications from minimal specifications. This essay explores how recursive intent turns code generation into a compiler-like pipeline that scales small prompts into structured systems.
Ben Houston •
Crafting READMEs for AI
Optimize your README.md files to empower both human developers and AI coding assistants alike.
Ben Houston •
The Rise of "Test Theater"
AI coding assistants are excellent at generating tests with high coverage. But there is often a critical problem: they are testing that code behaves as written, not as intended. This "Test Theater" creates a dangerous illusion of quality while providing almost no real protection against bugs.
Ben Houston •
Minimal Agentic Coder
Exploring the simplest possible implementation of an agentic coder using just 200 lines of TypeScript, demonstrating foundational concepts clearly and concisely.
Ben Houston •
Building an Agentic Coder
How to build an autonomous agentic coder that leverages advanced LLMs to transform software development. A talk given at the Ottawa Forward JS meet-up.
Ben Houston •
Software as Ephemeral
As AI dramatically reduces software development costs, we need to rethink our approach to code. Software is becoming ephemeral - easily replaced rather than maintained. This paradigm shift means optimizing for current needs instead of hypothetical futures.
Ben Houston •
Automating Agentic Coders
AI agents are moving beyond IDEs into full automation of coding workflows. Discover how integrating agentic coding into GitHub Actions can streamline software development -- turning issues into PRs and automating documentation, tests, and even code reviews, all through simple GitHub comments.
Ben Houston •
