
Interconnects
Audio essays about the latest developments in AI and interviews with leading scientists in the field. Breaking the hype, understanding what's under the hood, and telling stories. www.interconnects.ai
Latest episodes

6 snips
Feb 26, 2025 • 12min
Character training: Understanding and crafting a language model's personality
Delve into the intricate world of character training for AI language models. Discover the distinction between public evaluations and the internal assessments that drive real progress. Learn how leading labs are sculpting models like GPT-4 to enhance user interactions. Uncover the challenges of creating human-like traits in AI without sacrificing reliability. Join the conversation on the importance of crafting distinct personalities within models, an essential yet largely overlooked aspect of post-training.

8 snips
Feb 24, 2025 • 10min
Claude 3.7 thonks and what's next for inference-time scaling
Anthropic unveils Claude 3.7 Sonnet, improving inference time with a focus on reinforcement learning. This model enhances coding capabilities with a new command line tool, Claude Code. It breaks ground in software development benchmarks, outshining previous iterations. While not a revolutionary leap, the steady evolution of these models signals promising trends for AI. As the cost of superhuman coding solutions decreases, developers can anticipate exciting, cumulative enhancements throughout the year.

12 snips
Feb 18, 2025 • 12min
Grok 3 and an accelerating AI roadmap
The launch of Grok 3 has shaken up the AI landscape, signaling a shift towards faster model updates. With daily improvements on the horizon, the era of waiting for new releases may be over. The podcast discusses the competitive dynamics among AI developers like DeepSeek and Grok, highlighting the importance of transparency in evaluating AI's capabilities. It also addresses the real-world utility of AI, stressing user-centric progress as the industry gears up for 2025.

19 snips
Feb 13, 2025 • 40min
An unexpected RL Renaissance
Reinforcement learning is experiencing a renaissance, fueled by advanced research and improved infrastructure. The impact of training from human feedback has transformed language models, reshaping AI capabilities. Exciting new tools like TRL and OpenRLHF are making it easier to train innovative models. The evolution of techniques such as DeepRL is paving the way for scalable, adaptable AI. With a wealth of funding and open-source resources, the future of reinforcement learning promises to be both dynamic and groundbreaking.

10 snips
Feb 12, 2025 • 14min
Deep Research, information vs. insight, and the nature of science
Explore the fascinating intersection of deep research and AI's role in transforming science. The discussion contrasts mere information gathering with the pursuit of genuine insights. Hear about how pioneering tools like AlphaFold are reshaping scientific practices. The podcast emphasizes the need for scientists to adapt to this AI-driven landscape. Finally, it delves into the implications of embracing AI within scientific paradigms, promoting collaboration and innovation in research strategies.

6 snips
Feb 5, 2025 • 16min
Making the U.S. the home for open-source AI
Explore the evolving landscape of open-source AI and its ideological debates. The discussion highlights the challenges of building a sustainable ecosystem amid competitive pressures from major players, particularly in the U.S. and China. Discover the significance of DeepSeek, which reshapes narratives surrounding open versus closed AI models. Delve into the vision of a future where AI is more accessible, safer, and collaboratively built by a broader community, pushing back against the dominance of super-rich companies.

18 snips
Jan 28, 2025 • 12min
Why reasoning models will generalize
Explore the fascinating evolution of reasoning models in AI, highlighting their potential to generalize beyond traditional domains like programming and math. Discover how chain of thought reasoning enhances performance, allowing models to manage complexity more effectively. The discussion touches on advancements in training methodologies and the future capabilities expected by 2025. The differences in reasoning between human intelligence and language models provide intriguing insights into how information is processed and stored.

11 snips
Jan 22, 2025 • 1h 13min
Interviewing OLMo 2 leads: Open secrets of training language models
Luca Soldaini, the Data lead for the OLMo project at AI2, joins the discussion to unveil the intricacies of training language models. He shares tales of overcoming challenges in pretraining efficiency and the quest for stability, especially after a significant 70B model attempt. The conversation dives into the strategic decisions behind building effective language modeling teams, the intricate balance of deep versus wide network architectures, and the importance of community-driven advancements in AI.

16 snips
Jan 21, 2025 • 20min
DeepSeek R1's recipe to replicate o1 and the future of reasoning LMs
Discover the latest in AI with the launch of a groundbreaking reasoning language model, R1, featuring a unique four-stage reinforcement learning approach. The discussion dives into how this innovation could disrupt the market with competitive pricing and open-source implications. The conversation also touches on advancements in reasoning models and the fine-tuning processes that enhance their capabilities, hinting at exciting developments for researchers and companies alike.

Jan 15, 2025 • 10min
Let me use my local LMs on Meta Ray-Bans
Exploring the intersection of AI and wearable tech, the conversation highlights how new gadgets like Meta's Ray-Bans are transforming our interaction with technology. The role of local language models emerges as essential for enhanced privacy and efficiency. Insights reveal that while the current devices feel a step behind, their potential impact is likened to the revolutionary iPod and iPad. The excitement surrounding these innovations echoes the initial buzz of AirPods, signaling a shift in how we perceive and utilize AI in daily life.
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