#162 – Jim Keller: The Future of Computing, AI, Life, and Consciousness

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Feb 18, 2021

Jim Keller, a legendary microprocessor engineer with stints at AMD, Apple, Tesla, and more, dives into the future of computing and AI. He discusses the significance of empathy in understanding human behavior and how it influences creativity. The conversation reveals insights on the balance of craftsmanship with theoretical innovation in technology. Jim also explores the challenges in neural networks versus human cognition, the impact of love on success, and the potential for ubiquitous computing to reshape our relationship with technology.

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INSIGHT

Good Design

Good design requires both theory and engineering.
Engineering emphasizes craftsmanship, while theory often overemphasizes invention.

ANECDOTE

JavaScript's Success

Brendan Eich wrote JavaScript in 10 days, and it became the world's most popular programming language.
Its success may be attributed to simplicity, timing, and community feedback.

INSIGHT

Instruction Sets

Instruction sets themselves don't significantly impact performance.
Factors like predictability, usability, and availability matter more.

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Jim Keller is a legendary microprocessor engineer, previously at AMD, Apple, Tesla, Intel, and now Tenstorrent. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Jim’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimkxa
Jim’s Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Keller_(engineer)
Tenstorrent: https://www.tenstorrent.com/

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:02) – Good design is both science and engineering
(13:03) – Javascript
(17:09) – RISC vs CISC
(21:09) – What makes a great processor?
(22:38) – Intel vs ARM
(24:27) – Steve Jobs and Apple
(27:05) – Elon Musk and Steve Jobs
(32:50) – Father
(36:33) – Perfection
(42:48) – Modular design
(48:22) – Moore’s law
(55:20) – Hardware for deep learning
(1:02:14) – Making neural networks fast at scale
(1:09:51) – Andrej Karpathy and Chris Lattner
(1:14:05) – How GPUs work
(1:18:12) – Tesla Autopilot, NVIDIA, and Mobileye
(1:22:52) – Andrej Karpathy and Software 2.0
(1:29:13) – Tesla Dojo
(1:31:49) – Neural networks will understand physics better than humans
(1:34:02) – Re-engineering the human brain
(1:38:56) – Infinite fun and the Culture Series by Iain Banks
(1:40:50) – Neuralink
(1:46:13) – Dreams
(1:50:06) – Ideas
(2:00:19) – Aliens
(2:05:16) – Jordan Peterson
(2:10:13) – Viruses
(2:13:22) – WallStreetBets and Robinhood
(2:21:25) – Advice for young people
(2:23:15) – Human condition
(2:25:43) – Fear is a cage
(2:30:34) – Love
(2:36:57) – Regrets