The wrong place to slap a person (Changelog & Friends #63)
Sep 27, 2024
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Nick Nisi, a contributor to discussions on Karaoke, web browsers, and WordPress drama, joins Adam and Jerod to explore a range of engaging topics. They dive into the nostalgic world of karaoke and share humorous anecdotes about tech mishaps. The conversation shifts to the vulnerabilities in web browsers, emphasizing user privacy and corporate influence. They also touch on WordPress community dynamics, including conflicts over open-source contributions and trademark disputes, serving up a mix of humor and insight.
The launch of Assembly AI's Universal One speech-to-text model exemplifies advancements in AI technology, trained on 12.5 million hours of multilingual data.
The playful discussion about karaoke reveals its potential to enhance public speaking confidence while highlighting camaraderie among the hosts.
A critical examination of WP Engine's relationship with the WordPress community raises concerns about corporate responsibility and ethical obligations in open source.
Deep dives
Introduction of Universal One Speech Model
The episode discusses the launch of Universal One, a powerful speech-to-text model developed by Assembly AI. This model represents a culmination of a year-long effort, aligning with Assembly AI's extensive experience in building infrastructure for training large-scale speech AI models. Trained on approximately 12.5 million hours of multilingual voice data from diverse domains, Universal One offers high accuracy and low-cost solutions for developers. Developers are leveraging it for rapid and cost-effective speech-to-text and understanding tasks in various applications and workflows.
Assembly AI Playground Features
Listeners are encouraged to explore Assembly AI's playground, a no-code interface for testing and interacting with their speech models and API. This platform allows users to upload audio files and experiment with various speech AI functionalities for free before committing to coding. Users can effortlessly transition from the playground to the API with minimal friction, making it accessible for developers at all skill levels. The playground serves as an entry point, introducing users to the capabilities of Assembly AI in a supportive environment.
Eavesdropping Explained
The conversation takes a light-hearted detour into the etymology of the term 'eavesdropping.' The hosts humorously speculate on its origin, connecting it to the architectural eaves of houses from which sounds could be overheard. They explore different interpretations, ultimately noting that the term relates to the act of listening in on conversations. Their banter highlights the playful and informative dynamics of the talk show format while providing insights into language.
Karaoke Memories and Performance
The hosts reminisce about their karaoke experiences, sharing favorite songs and memorable performances. Nick humorously expresses his enjoyment of a song by Prince, emphasizing the fun of singing without pressure to perform perfectly. They reflect on how karaoke can build confidence for public speaking and podcasting. The light-hearted discussion showcases their camaraderie and the importance of making fun of oneself during performances.
Technological Debates and AI Features
There’s a thoughtful examination of the direction technology, particularly AI, is heading in hospitality and personal devices. The hosts express concerns regarding the prevalence of AI features in browsers—especially in terms of user privacy and corporate control. They discuss how AI integrations can enhance user experience yet may also lead to complications for personal data security. This dialogue sparks questions about balancing technological innovations with safeguarding user interests.
WP Engine and Open Source Drama
The episode transitions to a discussion around the contentious relationship between WP Engine and the WordPress community. Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, publicly criticized WP Engine for inadequate contributions to the open-source project, triggering a heated exchange. The legal implications of their disputes are explored, including cease-and-desist letters exchanged between the two parties. The conflict raises broader questions about corporate responsibility towards open source and the ethical obligations of companies profiting from it.
Nick Nisi joins Adam and Jerod to talk about Karaoke, ARC and the business model of web browsers, this WordPress drama, and an epic bonus for Changelog ++ subscribers.
Changelog++ members get a bonus 61 minutes at the end of this episode and zero ads. Join today!
Sponsors:
Assembly AI – Turn voice data into summaries with AssemblyAI’s leading Speech AI models. Built by AI experts, their Speech AI models include accurate speech-to-text for voice data (such as calls, virtual meetings, and podcasts), speaker detection, sentiment analysis, chapter detection, PII redaction, and more.
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