In 'Deep Learning: How the Mind Overrides Experience,' Stellan Ohlsson delves into the concept of non-monotonic learning, where the mind can override previous experiences to adapt and learn. The book is a significant contribution to cognitive psychology, highlighting the complexities of human learning and problem-solving processes.
The Accelerando series by Robert Schultz and Tina Faigen is a highly-regarded piano technique series. It includes seven books that guide students from their first lesson to advanced levels. Each book is filled with motivating studies that support all areas of standard piano technique, making it suitable for both children and adults. The series is designed to provide clear-cut goals for accelerated progress at every age and level.
The novel is set in a near-future world where nanotechnology has revolutionized society. It follows Nell, a young girl from a poor background, who receives an interactive educational book called the 'Young Lady's Illustrated Primer'. This book, designed by John Percival Hackworth, is intended to provide a personalized education and becomes a central element in Nell's life. The story explores themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the impact of technology on human society. The novel is known for its complex narrative, intersecting storylines, and its depiction of a world deeply divided along political, ethnic, and cultural lines[2][3][4].
Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses control planetary fiefs. The story follows Paul Atreides, whose family is tasked with ruling the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of melange, a substance crucial for extending life and enhancing mental abilities. The novel delves into the intricate politics, religion, ecology, and technology of this futuristic world, as various factions vie for control of Arrakis and its valuable spice. Paul, with his unique abilities and training by the Bene Gesserit, becomes a key figure in this struggle and eventually assumes the role of a messianic leader among the native Fremen people[2][5][4].
This book is a fixup collection of short stories that tell the history of robotics from its inception to a future where robots are integral to society. The stories are framed by Dr. Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist, recounting her experiences with various robots and the complexities that arise from their interactions with humans. The collection introduces Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and delves into themes of morality, psychology, and the social implications of creating intelligent machines. The stories feature recurring characters such as Dr. Calvin, Powell, and Donovan, and explore how robots interpret and comply with the Three Laws, often leading to unexpected and thought-provoking outcomes.
Published in 1992, 'Snow Crash' is a science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson that delves into a future where the United States has fragmented into corporate city-states and the internet has evolved into a virtual reality called the Metaverse. The story follows Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery driver and part-time hacker, and Y.T., a teenage skateboard courier, as they navigate a complex world threatened by a mysterious computer virus and a powerful drug known as Snow Crash. The novel explores themes of history, linguistics, anthropology, and computer science, and is noted for its prescient vision of the metaverse and its influence on Silicon Valley innovators[2][3][5].
Published in 1984, 'Neuromancer' is a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre. The novel revolves around Case, a skilled hacker who was once the best in his field but was crippled by his former employer after he tried to steal from them. Case is recruited by a mysterious employer named Armitage for a high-stakes mission that involves hacking into the highly secure systems of the Tessier-Ashpool family. Joined by a diverse group of allies, including the cyborg Molly and the performance artist Peter Riviera, Case must navigate the complexities of cyberspace and the real world to merge two powerful artificial intelligences, Wintermute and Neuromancer. The book explores themes of technology, identity, and the blurring of lines between the physical and virtual worlds[1][2][5].
Lex interviews Stephen Balavan, the CEO of Lambda Labs, a company that provides GPU servers, workstations and cloud services for training neural networks. Stephen talks about his background in computer science, economics, and deep learning, and how his interest in AI began with reading Neuromancer by William Gibson. He discusses the history of AI research, the concept of perceptron, and the breakthrough of deep learning in 2012-2014 that enabled machines to recognize and categorize images better than humans. Stephen also talks about working for Perceptio - which started as an API for face recognition, and and later was acquired by Apple.
MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION
Lambda's website: https://bit.ly/3j6nOVI
CEO's Linkedin profile: https://bit.ly/3HAYhNv
Topics: fintech, artificial intelligence, neural networks, deep learning, generative AI
Companies: Lambda, Perceptio, Prisma, Apple, ChatGPT, Dall-E, Google, DeepDream, Dreamscope
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TIMESTAMPS
1’48”: Stephen’s academic training and how it formed a foundation for his career trajectory
7’17”: The history of facial recognition AI, what a perceptron is, how it fails, and the architecture thereof
11’59”: Deep neural networks advancing facial recognition progress and the social credit score dystopia in China
17’45”: Define DeepDream and deep style - Neural network reverse engineering perceptions, visualisations and hallucinations
22’34”: From DeepDream to Dream Scope (web app) to accelerate image accuracy, and addressing the competition: Prisma’s Lensa
27’38”: The advances in the AI math that are responsible for the step-change in progress resulting in OpenAI’s ChatGPT, for example
31’53”: Lambda - how the company started, how the perceptions around consumable AI have changed, and the progress thusfar
36’42”: Lambda’s ability to evolve given the current heightened demand, and the future of the market
39’32”: What the future looks like with AI embedded into our everyday lives
41’38”: Channels to use to connect with Stephen & learn more about Lambda
Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD.
Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella
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