Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)

Pushing compute to the limits of physics

174 snips
Jul 21, 2025
Guillaume Verdon, founder of the thermodynamic computing startup Extropic and known as Beff Jezos, shares his fascinating journey from aspiring physicist to innovator. He discusses his pioneering work on thermodynamic computers that harness the natural chaos of electrons for efficient AI tasks. Verdon highlights the concept of Effective Accelerationism, advocating for rapid technological progress to enhance civilization. The importance of embracing exploration and innovation over fear of stagnation takes center stage as they explore the future intersection of humans and AI.
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ANECDOTE

Guillaume's Scientific Journey

  • Guillaume Verdon shares how his childhood dream of understanding the universe led him to theoretical physics and eventually quantum machine learning.
  • His journey illustrates transitioning from pure theory to practical technology innovation.
INSIGHT

Beyond Reductionism in Physics

  • The reductionist approach in physics is failing due to complexity and computational limits.
  • Complex systems and programmable parametric models help us understand nature beyond interpretable equations.
INSIGHT

Defining Physics-Based Computing

  • Physics-based computing involves leveraging native physical processes for computation instead of digital simulation.
  • Quantum and thermodynamic computers use controllable quantum or stochastic evolutions as computational resources.
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