Super Data Science: ML & AI Podcast with Jon Krohn

835: AI Systems as Productivity Engines, with You.com’s Bryan McCann

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Nov 12, 2024

Bryan McCann, Co-founder and CTO of You.com, shares insights from his work in AI and philosophy. He discusses You.com’s innovative 'do engine' that connects users to various language models for optimized search. Bryan predicts AI agents will outnumber humans by 2025, enhancing productivity through automated workflows. He dives into early experiments with AI alignment, the evolution of language models, and their potential applications in biology. The conversation highlights the transformative impact of AI on scientific discovery and human creativity.

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INSIGHT

You.com: A Do Engine

You.com is a "do engine," connecting users to various LLMs like OpenAI and Anthropic.
It offers free and premium access, with the latter offering more advanced models and features.

INSIGHT

Smart Mode vs. Research Mode

You.com's Smart Mode offers a GPT-4-like experience, enhanced by other models for query rewriting and prompt optimization.
Research Mode prioritizes comprehensiveness and accuracy, citing sources and offering deeper research capabilities.

ANECDOTE

Research Mode in Action

Bryan McCann uses You.com's Research Mode to prepare for customer meetings, gaining insights into companies and key people.
This use case extends to B2B applications, like helping biotech companies analyze clinical trial data.

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Middlemarch

George Eliot

Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, is a novel that delves into the complexities of provincial life in 19th-century England. The story revolves around the intersecting lives of its characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate marriage, vocation, and social class. Eliot critiques the conventional romance narratives of her time by portraying marriage as a complex and often problematic institution. The novel also explores themes of idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women's lives. Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch between 1829 and 1832, the novel incorporates historical events such as the Great Reform Act of 1832 and early developments in medicine. Eliot's realistic portrayal of ordinary human life, with its quiet tragedies and small triumphs, has made 'Middlemarch' a masterpiece of English literature.

Ulysses

James Joyce

Ulysses is a groundbreaking and complex modernist novel that chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners over a single day. The novel is loosely based on Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey', with Leopold Bloom paralleling Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus paralleling Telemachus, and Molly Bloom paralleling Penelope. It explores themes such as antisemitism, human sexuality, British rule in Ireland, Catholicism, and Irish nationalism. The novel is known for its innovative use of language and narrative techniques, including stream-of-consciousness and multiple literary styles. It captures the essence of early 20th-century Dublin, providing a detailed snapshot of the city's social, political, and cultural landscape[2][3][5].

An Elegant Puzzle

Systems of Engineering Management

Will Larson

An Elegant Puzzle is a comprehensive guide to engineering management, particularly in high-growth environments. The book, written by Will Larson, draws on his extensive experience at companies like Digg, Uber, and Stripe. It addresses specific challenges such as managing technical debt, handling migrations, and developing succession planning. Larson's approach emphasizes systems thinking, providing actionable templates and strategies for building healthy and productive engineering teams. The book is valuable not only for engineering managers but also for product managers and engineers working in similar environments[2][4][5].

Life of the Mind

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Moby Dick

Herman Melville

Moby-Dick is a novel that tells the story of Captain Ahab's maniacal quest for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. Narrated by Ishmael, the story follows the crew of the whaling ship Pequod as they embark on a journey that explores themes of obsession, man vs. nature, and the existential questions of good and evil. The novel is rich in detailed descriptions of whale hunting and life aboard a culturally diverse crew, and it has become a cornerstone of American and world literature[2][3][5].