Ian Johnson: knowing what to ask AI for matters most for value

Orbital is building an operating system that lets non-CS domains like science and mechanical engineering use its team's computer science expertise to build complex apps and research tools. The author argues that clearly specifying what you want from AI is the key lever for getting value, and that robust results are possible without a CS degree if the right pieces are in place. A quoted post on an ETH Zurich study of 100 developers suggests computer science background predicts vibe coding success more strongly than writing skill.