# LLMs as mirrors

**Date:** 2025-07-16  
**Author:** Kees C. Bakker  
**Original:** https://keestalkstech.com/notes/llms-as-mirrors/

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Wow:

> In my view, LLMs are essentially mirrors. They mirror the skill of the operator.

The article goes on to argue that using AI (correctly) is also a matter of skill.

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                    ![](https://ghuntley.com/content/images/2025/06/download--2-.jpeg)
                
            
            
                LLMs are mirrors of operator skill
                This is a follow-up from my previous blog post: “deliberate intentional practice”. I didn’t want to get into the distinction between skilled and unskilled because people take offence to it, but AI is a matter of skill. Someone can be highly experienced as a software engineer in 2024, but that
                                    ghuntley.com
                            
        
    ](https://ghuntley.com/mirrors/)