First Post First Post!
I’ve started this blog because I used to write a lot, then stopped. I wanted to get back into it and also explore some of the 8,000 JavaScript frameworks out there. Why I chose Astro, for now, is a story for a future post (what a cliffhanger!). I’ll likely be tweaking layouts and whatnot until I’m satisfied. A big thanks to the AstroPaper theme contributors, whose theme I’ve repurposed. Currently, I’m just writing in markdown - no CMS for me, because I’m hardcore like that. 💪
Will this blog lead to a more consistent writing routine, or will it fizzle out after a few optimistically paced articles? Let’s find out.
It’s A Bunch Of News Stories
As I navigate the AI space, I’ll be sharing my journey here, starting with summaries of recent AI-related news stories. Here’s some, not-too-techy, hot news from the past week. The image below is Stable Diffusion’s take on a trendy newsroom…
AMD Throw Their Hat In The Ring
AMD’s Instinct MI300X GPUs, aimed at AI and high-performance computing applications, have been deployed in LaminiAI’s large language models and mark a key advancement for the company. Stats-fans will be pleased to know these GPUs feature a whopping 192 GB of HBM3 memory (making me feel slightly less smug about my Nvidia 4090), a 50% increase from their predecessor, and boast 19,456 stream processors. They also offer an impressive 5.3TB/sec memory bandwidth. They have potential to outperform their competition, NVIDIA’s widely-used H100 80GB GPU.
Via Tom’s Hardware
Banish Shopping Blues With Etsy’s Gift Mode (Just In Time For Christmas)
Etsy’s come to ease the gift-finding ordeal with the launch of ‘Gift Mode’, a new AI-powered feature. It’s like a quiz, asking who you’re shopping for and their interests, from video games to pets. Then, it churns out gift guides tailored to over 200 personas, like “The Music Lover” or “The Pet Parent.” Etsy’s not just stopping there; they plan to keep adding new interests and personas, keeping up with the latest trends. To sweeten the deal, they’ve got a “gift teaser” option to give recipients a sneak peek of the gift. Etsy’s leveraging machine learning, human curation, and OpenAI’s GPT-4 for this. Your loved ones will thank you for the thoughtful gift while you smile and nod politely.
Via TechCrunch
Gmail’s AI Gets Vocal
Despite lagging behind its competition, Microsoft and OpenAI, Google is beginning to make good on some of their 2024 AI plans with some nifty new experimental features for consumers. The ‘Help Me Write’ feature in Gmail, currently available only in Google Labs, relies on written prompts but is set to include voice command functionality for email drafting. This anticipated update would enable users to dictate their emails via a microphone button in the app, streamlining the email composition process. Tab Organizer aims to intelligently organise the tabs for Chrome tab-hoarders. Additionally, the generative AI wallpapers introduced in Android 14 and Pixel 8 devices are also being extended to Chrome.
Via Google’s Blog
AI in Combat: Schmidt’s ‘White Stork’ Targets Ukrainian War Effort
Eric Schmidt, ex-CEO of Google, is reportedly creating ‘White Stork’, a kamikaze drone startup. Named after Ukraine’s national bird, the company plans to sell advanced AI drone technology to Ukraine for its war efforts. Since leaving Google, Schmidt has bridged Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, emphasizing AI’s role in future warfare. He’s now turning those insights into a business, producing cost-effective drones equipped with explosives. Schmidt’s initiative, developed under various shell companies, includes tech experts like Sebastian Thrun. This venture into AI warfare marks a significant shift in the industry’s involvement in combat technology.
Via Gizmodo
Study Finds AI Coding Is Faster But Flawed
GitClear’s research suggests AI coding assistance may decrease code quality. The study, analyzing 150 million lines of code from various sources, indicates increased code churn and repetition. GitHub’s Copilot, popular since 2021, is mentioned as a contributor to these trends. While AI assists in faster task completion, it often focuses only on adding code. The research highlights a rise in code churn, now 7.1% compared to 3.3% in 2020, and a decline in code movement, indicating less refactoring. GitClear, a developer analytics company, warns against the long-term maintenance challenges posed by the excessive use of copy/pasting in coding, exacerbated by AI tools.
Via DevClass
Artists Against AI Say ‘Down With This Sort Of Thing’
Nightshade, a tool designed by the University of Chicago to protect artists’ works from ‘unauthorized’ AI training, has seen a whopping 250,000 downloads in just five days. This tool modifies artworks at a pixel level, apparently misleading AI models and preventing them from accurately using these images for training purposes. Its success follows the earlier tool, Glaze, which aims to protect an artist’s unique style from AI imitation. The overwhelming response to Nightshade highlights the global art community’s concern over the use of their work by AI without consent. The Glaze Project team, responsible for both tools, is now planning a combined version, ensuring thorough testing for effectiveness.
Via VentureBeat
NYT Enlists Machine Learning Helpers
The New York times is building an AI team to explore machine learning techniques which can “help with reporting and how the Times is presented to readers”, according to its editorial director of AI initiatives, Zach Seward. They’ve already posted several job listings and insist “Times journalism will always be reported, written and edited by our expert journalists” (which is more than can be said for CNET). The news might surprise some as the Times was one of the first news orgs to block OpenAI’s web crawler, as well as get litigious with them and Microsoft, but this development indicates a significant shift in their strategy, positioning them to potentially harness AI while maintaining editorial control.
Via The Verge