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Improving 15 LLMs at Coding in One Afternoon. Only the Harness Changed
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Overview
Improving coding performance in 15 language models can be achieved by changing the harness used, rather than the models themselves. The harness affects the efficiency and effectiveness of the models, highlighting its role as a critical factor in AI coding capabilities.
Summary from blog.can.ac.
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Hacker News · blog.can.ac
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-02-12.
- Praise: Improving agent harnesses can significantly enhance the effectiveness of existing models, suggesting that design optimizations may yield greater returns than training new models.
- Praise: The article highlights the potential for harness-level improvements to reduce token waste, which could lead to more efficient AI applications.
- Praise: The distinction between the model and the harness emphasizes that effective AI deployment requires careful engineering at the interface, not just advanced model capabilities.
- Praise: The CORE benchmark example illustrates how switching harnesses can dramatically improve model performance, reinforcing the importance of harness design.