Latent Space: The AI Engineer Podcast
swyx + Alessio
The podcast by and for AI Engineers! In 2024, over 2 million readers and listeners came to Latent Space to hear about news, papers and interviews in Software 3.0.We cover Foundation Models changing every domain in Code Generation, Multimodality, AI Agents, GPU Infra and more, directly from the founders, builders, and thinkers involved in pushing the cutting edge. Striving to give you both the definitive take on the Current Thing down to the first introduction to the tech you'll be using in the next 3 months! We break news and exclusive interviews from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Meta (Soumith Chintala), Sierra (Bret Taylor), tiny (George Hotz), Databricks/MosaicML (Jon Frankle), Modular (Chris Lattner), Answer.ai (Jeremy Howard), et al.Full show notes always on https://latent.space
Episodes
Mentioned books
64 snips
Jul 26, 2023 • 55min
FlashAttention 2: making Transformers 800% faster w/o approximation - with Tri Dao of Together AI
Tri Dao, a recent Stanford PhD grad and Chief Scientist at Together AI, discusses his groundbreaking work on FlashAttention-2, enhancing transformer models for faster inference. He explains how FlashAttention improves efficiency by reducing memory usage from quadratic to linear scaling. The conversation also touches on the importance of memory architecture in GPU performance and the balance of traditional techniques with modern AI innovations. Lastly, Tri reflects on the dynamic landscape of AI research and the rise of open-source contributions in the field.
51 snips
Jul 19, 2023 • 1h 20min
Llama 2: The New Open LLM SOTA (ft. Nathan Lambert, Matt Bornstein, Anton Troynikov, Russell Kaplan, Whole Mars Catalog et al.)
In this discussion, guests Nathan Lambert, a machine learning researcher at Hugging Face, and Matt Bornstein from a16z, share insights on the revolutionary Llama 2 model. They explore its technical advancements, including improved context length and its arrival as a strong competitor in the open LLM landscape. Ethical concerns surrounding open-source AI, data sourcing, and user privacy come into play. The conversation highlights the potential for democratizing AI and the importance of having control over sensitive data, pivotal for businesses and organizations.
120 snips
Jul 17, 2023 • 1h 1min
AI Fundamentals: Datasets 101
The discussion kicks off with the crucial role of datasets in AI training, debunking the myth that models like GPT-3 use the entire internet for data. It emphasizes the immense effort required for quality data selection and the evolution of training methods. Key examples like Common Crawl and debates around data quality versus quantity are highlighted. Ethical concerns regarding copyright and licensing for datasets are also explored, while the importance of deduplication and data curation is underscored to enhance model accuracy.
120 snips
Jul 10, 2023 • 2h 4min
Code Interpreter == GPT 4.5 (w/ Simon Willison, Alex Volkov, Aravind Srinivas, Alex Graveley, et al.)
In this engaging discussion, experienced developer Simon Willison, AI researcher Alex Volkov, and Perplexity founder Aravind Srinivas explore the groundbreaking capabilities of the new Code Interpreter. They reveal its potential for data analysis, video editing, and refactoring tasks while addressing significant limitations and security concerns. The conversation highlights exciting applications, including sentiment analysis and game development feedback, showcasing how AI tools can optimize coding efficiency and enhance user creativity in programming.
35 snips
Jul 2, 2023 • 1h
[Practical AI] AI Trends: a Latent Space x Practical AI crossover pod!
In this engaging discussion, Dan Whitenack, a data scientist with a PhD in mathematical and computational physics and co-host of Practical AI, dives into the evolution of AI and podcasting. He shares personal anecdotes about their journey, favorite episodes, and the importance of understanding AI's historical context. The conversation shifts to implementing AI in low-resource settings, the creation of PredictionGuard, and the critical role of user experience in AI application adoption. With insights on the unique challenges faced by both engineers and data scientists, it's a lively exploration of today's AI landscape.
46 snips
Jul 1, 2023 • 2h 5min
[Cognitive Revolution] The Tiny Model Revolution with Ronen Eldan and Yuanzhi Li of Microsoft Research
Join Ronen Eldan and Yuanzhi Li from Microsoft Research as they dive into the fascinating world of tiny language models. Learn how their Tiny Stories project showcases these models' surprising storytelling abilities while prioritizing data quality over sheer size. The duo discusses new training methods that mimic human language learning and explores the emergence of reasoning skills in AI. Discover the creative challenges of generating diverse narratives for young audiences and how understanding these small models can reshape the future of AI.
136 snips
Jun 20, 2023 • 1h 13min
Commoditizing the Petaflop — with George Hotz of the tiny corp
In this conversation, George Hotz, known for his groundbreaking work in unlocking the iPhone and founding Comma.ai, delves into the innovations at tiny corp. He discusses the groundbreaking tinybox, a luxury AI computer poised to revolutionize personal computing, boasting impressive specs for local AI processing. George also tackles the commoditization of petaflop computing and the intricacies of multi-GPU design. Additionally, he explores the benefits of on-device AI training versus cloud solutions, emphasizing privacy and security in the evolving landscape of technology.
68 snips
Jun 14, 2023 • 1h 28min
Emergency Pod: OpenAI's new Functions API, 75% Price Drop, 4x Context Length (w/ Alex Volkov, Simon Willison, Riley Goodside, Joshua Lochner, Stefania Druga, Eric Elliott, Mayo Oshin et al)
In this engaging discussion, AI expert Alex Volkov, prompt injection specialist Simon Willison, and software engineer Riley Goodside dissect OpenAI's transformative Functions API. They dive into the significant 75% price drop and the increase in context length, exploring the implications for developers. Eric Elliott shares prompting techniques to enhance accuracy, while the panel addresses security concerns related to prompt injection. The conversation is rich with insights on coding efficiency, the future of AI tools, and the evolution of user interactions with these technologies.
47 snips
Jun 8, 2023 • 49min
From RLHF to RLHB: The Case for Learning from Human Behavior - with Jeffrey Wang and Joe Reeve of Amplitude
Join Jeffrey Wang, co-founder of Amplitude with over a decade in product analytics, and Joe Reeve, head of AI R&D, as they dive into the intricacies of AI and product development. They discuss the transition from RLHF to RLHB in learning from human behavior and the messiness of gathering quality feedback. The conversation highlights how AI is evolving in product analytics, the ethical considerations of data usage, and the balance between leveraging AI insights while prioritizing user privacy. Prepare for a thought-provoking exploration of AI's potential!
177 snips
Jun 1, 2023 • 1h 10min
Building the AI × UX Scenius — with Linus Lee of Notion AI
Linus Lee, a product engineer at Notion and an AI UX specialist, shares his insights on designing intuitive AI interfaces. He emphasizes the importance of setting constraints and building community around AI technologies. Linus discusses the unique features of Notion AI, from project scoping to innovative writing tools, while addressing the challenges of prompt engineering. He also explores the balance between nostalgia and functionality in design, spotlighting how user feedback shapes the evolution of AI-driven interfaces.
