Question
You're optimizing a hot rendering path in a game engine (C++ / a HLSL compute shader) that's missing the 16.6ms frame budget on mid-range GPUs. A junior suggests asking an AI agent to 'make this shader faster'. Explain why this is a weak use of the tool as framed, what failure modes apply to GPU performance work, and how you'd actually involve AI if at all.
Treat the AI’s output as a draft to verify, not an answer to trust. Name the specific flaw and the input that triggers it, say how you’d catch it — tests, edge cases, reading critically — and how you’d re-prompt or decompose to get it right.
Vibe coding: describe the solution in plain language (or narrate it) and the coach grades your approach. Generating runnable code from your description is coming next.