Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future

Bill Dally: The Evolution and Revolution of AI and Computing

6 snips

Jun 13, 2024

NVIDIA's Chief Scientist, Bill Dally, discusses evolution of AI, GPU technology, and challenges of rapid advancements. Conversations also cover future implications for the industry and advice for aspiring engineers. Hosted by Michael Mignano, they explore generative AI and the shift in technology landscape.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Bill Dally’s AI Journey

Bill Dally experimented with neural networks in the 1980s as a Caltech graduate student.
His work evolved through parallel computing and stream processing, culminating at NVIDIA with GPU-powered AI advancements.

INSIGHT

AI Revolution Faster Than Expected

Bill Dally saw AI as revolutionary but did not expect the recent explosion of generative AI to happen so rapidly.
The release of ChatGPT dramatically accelerated AI's pace and impact unexpectedly.

INSIGHT

Generative AI in Autonomous Vehicles

Generative AI is used in autonomous vehicles for training simulation and prediction of other actors' behavior.
It enables creation of varied scenarios and improves perception and planning systems.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The explosion of generative AI-powered technologies has forever changed the tech landscape. But the path to the current AI revolution was paved by many breakthroughs. Bill Dally had a hand in quite a few of them.

In this week’s episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Bill Dally, NVIDIA's Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President for Research, whose nearly four-decade long career spans from experiments with neural networks in the 1980s to leading NVIDIA's groundbreaking research. He discusses the work at NVIDIA in advancing GPU technology, as well as the shift towards generative AI. Michael and Bill also explore the challenges of keeping up with rapid advancements in AI, the future implications for the industry, and advice for aspiring engineers.

Bill Dally joined NVIDIA in January 2009 as chief scientist, after spending 12 years at Stanford University, where he was chairman of the computer science department. He has published over 250 papers, holds over 120 issued patents, and is an author of four textbooks. Bill received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from CalTech.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:22) Bill Dally's Journey from Neural Networks to NVIDIA
(01:39) The Evolution of AI and Computing: A Personal Account
(05:48) The AI Revolution: Expectations vs. Reality
(07:58) Inside NVIDIA: The Role of Chief Scientist and the Power of Research
(10:29) Exploring the Frontiers of Generative AI and Research
(14:23) AI’s Role in the Future of Autonomous Vehicles
(20:53) The Impact of AI on Chip Design and Efficiency
(25:55) Building NVIDIA's Elite Research Team
(36:00) Anticipating the Future: Advice for the Next Generation
(39:58) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:
www.lsvp.com
X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co
Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.