[R] Chatbot -generated R Code

[Richard O'Keefe]

So to summarise, there are three key issues so dar:
- does the generated code work
- does it infringe on someone else’s intellectual property rights
- do the AI’s terms of service permit you to use it

What are some other things people who want to use an AI to generate code
should consider?  Ither than the application domain,?is any of this
specific to R?


On Wed, 10 Dec 2025 at 8:30 AM, Gregg Powell via R-help <
r-help using r-project.org> wrote:

> I did not say blindly trust LLMs nor did I recommend their use. That is up
> to each individual.
> Those who choose not to use LLMs will not be competitive against their
> peers who do - that is my claim.
>
> As for me, I use LLMs.   I have no axe to grind against using LLMs or
> those who use them. Honestly, at 58 - I did not think I'd see AI in my
> lifetime. I see LLMs as a tool. A very useful tool. I would not want to be
> a younger person having to compete against AI. I am glad to be in a
> position where AI and its impact on society will have little or no
> financial impact on me personally. I commiserate with those not in a
> similar circumstance. I see many taking a supercilious attitude toward
> those who use AI (as demonstrated in your emails, for instance) -
> particularly among coders. Ironically, coders are among the first and
> hardest hit by AI, along with graphic designers, writers, researchers, data
> scientists... there is a long and growing list.
>
> The genie is out of the bottle. Governments are run by people either too
> greedy or power hungry to curtail the technology. It is the start of a new
> arms race. Some claim it will help society, other claim it will destroy it.
> As most things usually go - the truth most probably lies somewhere in the
> middle. Only time will tell.
>
> All the best!
> Gregg
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 10:06 AM, Robert Knight <
> bobby.knight using gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Responding with LLM output to a question about risk and the legality of
> something is not comforting. Naked Capitalism reported on hallucinations
> are increasing, not decreasing in language models.
> > I shall trust my own brain over an LLM output. Are you really suggesting
> that people trust an LLM counterview of the meaning contracts they sign?
> >
>
> > This kind of thinking, and that guy who did not understand central
> tgeblaw of large numbers , both experts in the field, is why people like me
> have to work in other occupations and argue in the public sphere until
> someone like Kennedy can get into place.
> >
>
> > An LLM tells me not believe my lying eyes and cognitive understanding of
> the contract I am about to sign.... Trust the LLM you say.
> >
>
> > My word.
> >
>
> > On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Gregg Powell <g.a.powell using protonmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
>
> > > Let's let Claude respond back itself:
> > >
>
> > > r/
> > > Gregg
> > > On Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 8:39 AM, Robert Knight <
> bobby.knight using gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
>
> > > > It seems like malpractice to recommend Claude to someone using R or
> big data since what they would use it for is *explicitly* against the terms
> of service. Machine learning predates the microchip.
> > > > See below.
> > > >
>
> > > > Also, quality control will make a comeback. Expert systems cannot be
> replaced with something akin to Bayes probability charts indedinitely.
> > > >
>
> > > >
>
> > > > > you may not use the service to “develop any products or services
> that compete with our Services, including to develop or train any
> artificial intelligence or machine learning algorithms or models.”
> > > >
>
> > > > Claude’s terms further state
> > > >
>
> > > > > “Equitable relief. You agree that (a) no adequate remedy exists at
> law if you breach Section 3 (Use of Our Services); (b) it would be
> difficult to determine the damages resulting from such breach, and any such
> breach would cause irreparable harm; and (c) a grant of injunctive relief
> provides the best remedy for any such breach. You waive any opposition to
> such injunctive relief, as well as any demand that we prove actual damage
> or post a bond or other security in connection with such injunctive relief.”
> > > >
>
> > > > Machine learning includes linear regression. Other Machine Learning
> algorithms include Logistic Regression, decision trees, random forests,
> support vector machines, K-Nearest Neighbors, & Bayes Algorithms. It seems
> to me, that as of 14 October 2024, no one seeking to handle any data
> science can legitimately use Claude
> > > >
>
> > > >
>
> > > >
>
> > > > On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Gregg Powell via R-help <
> r-help using r-project.org> wrote:
> > > >
>
> > > > > Humans who don't adapt to LLMs, or whatever form AI takes as it
> evolves, will be left in the dust.
> > > > >
>
> > > > > People may just now be waking up to the fact that we're three
> years into a tremendous revolution, one of the greatest in human history.
> It follows the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Industrial Revolution, the
> computer revolution, the Information Age, and now... AI.
> > > > >
>
> > > > > AGI is approaching. How quickly? Who can say. Whether AI can ever
> be truly sentient remains a mystery. But once it can adequately replicate
> sentience, some will ask: what's the difference?
> > > > >
>
> > > > > As to the question of who judges what's acceptable from a coding
> standpoint: capitalism will. Corporations will. And the question of whether
> this is the future of coding is already behind us. It is coding now, and it
> will only continue to improve in capability.
> > > > >
>
> > > > > Try Replit, Cursor, Claude Code. Humans are incapable of keeping
> up. AI still struggles with some of the most complex tasks, and it does
> poorly at orchestrating across large repositories, but it's improving
> rapidly.
> > > > > Just my observations.
> > > > >
>
> > > > >
>
> > > > > Those who look down their noses at all this will be left behind.
> > > > >
>
> > > > > All the best!
> > > > > Gregg
> > > > >
>
> > > > >
>
> > > > >
>
> > > > >
>
> > > > > On Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 6:32 AM, Hans W <
> hwborchers using gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
>
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > SORRY if I missed such a discussion somewhere on R-HELP
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > For many years I wanted to write an R function that finds the
> closest pair of
> > > > > > points among a, maybe huge, set of points on the 2-dimensional
> plane. I never
> > > > > > did, perhaps considering the possible complexity of this task.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > Now I found a book, among others describing the "sweeping
> algorithm", perfectly
> > > > > > suited for the problem. And as a test, I questioned chatbots
> like DeepSeek and
> > > > > > ChatGPT about such a function - and mentioned the sweeping
> algorithm.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > DeepSeek, for instance, came immediately up with a complete,
> efficient solution
> > > > > > and test cases that I checked with brute force. I can see that
> it utilized the
> > > > > > sweeping algorithm, documented the code, and set up a help file.
> I made some
> > > > > > changes, improved the code a bit, but still it is code generated
> by a clever
> > > > > > chatbot, whatever I do.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > Now I ask myself: Is this a correct and lawful way to write code
> in the future?
> > > > > > I am not even sure DeepSeek may not have used an implementation
> of the sweeping
> > > > > > algorithm that is under ACM license and would not be allowed on
> CRAN.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > I wonder how one handles this matter? Will this be the future of
> code writing
> > > > > > (for R and other languages)? I would really appreciate to hear
> your opinion or
> > > > > > a hint to a discussion about it.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > Hans Werner
> > > > > >
> > > > >
>
> > > > > > ______________________________________________
> > > > > > R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more,
> see
> > > > > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > > > > > PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > > > > > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible
> code.______________________________________________
> R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>

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