On July 12 NASA will release the first science data – including the first science-quality images - from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. The images are sure to be stunning, and guaranteed to make headlines around the world. AI Podcast Host Noah Kravitz spoke with UC Santa Cruz's Brant Robertson, a professor of astrophysics and astronomy, about the data science behind one of the biggest science stories of our time. 

https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2022/06/08/deep-learning-james-webb-space-telescope/

Astrophysicist Brant Robertson Using AI to Glean Insights from James Webb Space Telescope - Ep. 171

For NVIDIA Senior AI Scientist Jim Fan, the video game Minecraft served as the “perfect primordial soup” for his research on open-ended AI agents.

In the latest AI Podcast episode, host Noah Kravitz spoke with Fan on using large language models to create AI agents — specifically to create Voyager, an AI bot built with Chat GPT-4 that can autonomously play Minecraft.

AI agents are models that “can proactively take actions and then perceive the world, see the consequences of its actions, and then improve itself,” Fan said. Many current AI agents are programmed to achieve specific objectives, such as beating a game as quickly as possible or answering a question. They can work autonomously toward a particular output but lack a broader decision-making agency.

Fan wondered if it was possible to have a “truly open-ended agent that can be prompted by arbitrary natural language to do open-ended, even creative things.” 

But he needed a flexible playground in which to test that possibility. 
 
“And that’s why we found Minecraft to be almost a perfect primordial soup for open-ended agents to emerge, because it sets up the environment so well,” he said. Minecraft at its core, after all, doesn’t set a specific key objective for players other than to survive and freely explore the open world.

That became the springboard for Fan’s project, MineDojo, which eventually led to the creation of the AI bot Voyager. 

“Voyager leverages the power of Chat GPT-4 to write code in Javascript to execute in the game,” Fan explained. “GPT-4 then looks at the output, and if there’s an error from JavaScript or some feedback from the environment, GPT-4 does a self-reflection and tries to debug the code.”

The bot learns from its mistakes and stores the correctly implemented programs in a skill library for future use, allowing for “lifelong learning.” 

In-game, Voyager can autonomously explore for hours, adapting its decisions based on its environment and developing skills to combat monsters and find food when needed. 

“We see all these behaviors come from the Voyager setup, the skill library and also the coding mechanism,” Fan explained. “We did not preprogram any of these behaviors.” 

He then spoke more generally about the rise and trajectory of LLMs. He foresees strong applications in software, gaming and robotics and increasingly pressing conversations surrounding AI safety. 

Fan encourages those looking to get involved and work with LLMs to “just do something,” whether that means using online resources or experimenting with beginner-friendly, CPU-based AI models.

NVIDIA’s Jim Fan delves into large language models and their industry impact - Ep. 204

NVIDIA’s Jim Fan Delves Into Large Language Models and Their Industry Impact - Ep. 204

When most people think of space, they think of outer space: Mars, billionaires with rockets, and the “final frontier”. But space innovation is actually playing out right now -- in an immediate and more accessible way, thanks to techonologies getting smaller, faster, and cheaper -- through micro satellites that do everything from map terrain, to telecommunications that can provide connectivity even in remote areas.

This episode of the a16z Podcast -- based on an November 2017 a16z Summit conversation moderated by general partner Martin Casado with Dan Berkenstock, founding CEO of Skybox Imaging; John Gedmark, CEO and co-founder of Astranis; and Steve Smith, former astronaut from NASA -- covers how this trend of small satellites is developing, as well as what existing applications it will change to what new business opportunities it presents.

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: Space -- the Near Frontier

with Cristina Cordova (@cjc), Augusto Marietti (@sonicaghi), Laura Behrens Wu (@laurabehrenswu), and Sonal Chokshi (@smc90)

APIs (application programming interfaces), observe the guests in this episode of the a16z Podcast, can be described as everything from Lego building blocks to Tetris to front doors to even veins in the human body. Because the defining property of APIs is that they're ways to send and receive information between different parts, that is, communicate between software applications (which often map onto different organizational functions/services in a company too). APIs therefore give companies access to data and competencies they wouldn't otherwise have -- or better yet, that they no longer need -- by letting even non-tech and small companies combine these building blocks to get exactly what they want.

Which means companies today -- including non-tech companies and small companies -- can focus on their core competency instead, access bigger data, and get superpowers to scale and compete with the Amazons of the world. But what does all this mean for design -- after all, APIs are interfaces between software, not people -- and for other stakeholders (finance, ops, etc.) beyond developers? Who do you sell to? How are APIs changing not only the (inter)face of business today, but how entire companies are being formed from -- or around -- them? This conversation considers all this and more, featuring: Cristina Cordova, who leads partnerships for Stripe, which builds infrastructure for the movement of money including payments processing; Augusto Marietti, CEO and co-founder of Kong, which helps companies manage secure APIs and microservices; Laura Behrens Wu, CEO and co-founder of Shippo, which powers multi-carrier shipping for all kinds of commerce; in conversation with Sonal Chokshi.

a16z Podcast: The API Economy -- The Why, What, and How

in pleasant anticipation of our first night playing together we peeked into the telescope and found the unexpected!
come to Golden Pudel on the 12th of april to discover more!
https://www.facebook.com/events/205030716768453

Crusat & Good News Observe Dark Matter Going Missing In Oddball Galaxy

Rinse FM Podcasts

Download

Golden Pudel Takeover: Crusat - 6th October 2018

with Boris Sofman (@bsofman), Dave Touretzky (@DaveTouretzky), and Hanne Tidnam (@omnivorousread)

We're just now beginning to truly see the the first 'real' robots in the home, from Roombas to toys to companions to... well, much more. How are humans beginning to forge relationships with these robotic devices (/entities!) -- and how will those relationships develop? What do we learn as we begin to forge relationships and interact with robotic toys like Cosmo and Vector -- about robots, and about ourselves? And what do these learnings teach us about the possibility of adding a "personality wrapper" to new technologies?

In this episode of the a16z Podcast, CEO and cofounder of Anki Boris Sofman, and Research Professor of Computer Science at CMU Dave Touretzky, discuss with a16z's Hanne Tidnam where we are in the human-robotic future, the history of robotics that has brought us here, and the next big breakthroughs -- in hardware, software, perception, navigation, and manipulation -- that will bring in the next waves of innovation for robots.

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: The IQ and EQ of Robots

Rinse FM Boxing Day 2019 @ XOYO - Tickets: smarturl.it/boxingday_19

After a 2 year break, Rinse FM returns for their annual Boxing Day party on the
26th December at East London's XOYO

Bringing together some of the freshest and foundation talent over the past 25 Years,
our line up on the night will be:

Redlight
Geeneus + Katy B + Tippa
Novelist
Oneman
Slimzee
The Menendez Brothers
Jetsss
IZCO
Jordss
Oblig
Eliza Rose
Manaré
FBR

10PM - 5AM
Tickets £10 - £22

Solaris with Crusat - 29 November 2019

This is a recording of Dr. Richard Allington, emeritus Professor at University of Tennessee, giving a talk to 2019 Literacy Association of Tennessee's conference. LAT is the state organization of International Literacy Association.

Allington part 1

Thanks to the provocative predictions about our connected future, RoadSigns guests presented listeners with a pretty surprising picture of trucking and freight transportation.  In this episode, we reflect on those themes and interviews from 2019.  Host Seth Clevenger gives fresh commentary on the industry-wide transition to ELD, expansion of tracking and freight visibility technology, and the clarity you need to tackle truck tech's most complicated issues in the new year. Join us.

For more information visit: https://roadsigns.ttnews.com/episodes/looking-ahead-to-truckings-future-by-looking-back-at-2019/

Follow the RoadSigns:
Twitter: @ttroadsigns
LinkedIn: RoadSignspocast
Instagram: @roadsignspodcast

Join RoadSigns mailing list: https://roadsigns.ttnews.com/join-the-mailing-list/

RS23: RoadSigns Roundabout: Looking Ahead to Trucking’s Future by Looking Back at 2019

My mix for Übel & Gefährlich's NYD (online) party.



NatCase - All Mass Panic
Tzusing & Hodge - LCD
Portishead - Machine Gun (Séverine Hypermachine Edit)
Bonebrokk - Nessus Chant
(Maara - Der She Goes)
Ase Manual - Rich Ass
Roo Honeychild - This Generation (Pass The Dutchie To Roo Bootleg)
Himera - I Hear Chimes When Your’re Around
MTMA - I thought about flipping you
Amor Satyr - Kika Uma Vez
Nunu - 1771
***
Mosca - This Is Not A Coded Message
Merca Bae & Miss Jay - Portal
L.Senni - The shape of core to come (Oblinof edit)
Cnámha - Wasted Chattel
Hyph11E - Barnacles (Kode9 Remix)
NatCase - Deeptych
Tadleeh - Ego Will Collapse (Crystallmess Remix)
Hyph11E - Get Out From Under
Lorenzo Senni - Vandalize Music
DJ BEVERLY HILL$ - Raw Steeze
Astrosuka - EH!?
Amor Satyr & Siu Mata - Nah
FKOFF1963 - Sentimental Demais 
Petal Supply - You’re So Pretty

Urknall 2021

One person, one interview, one story. Join us as we explore the impact of AI on our world, one amazing person at a time -- from the wildlife biologist tracking endangered rhinos across the savannah here on Earth to astrophysicists analyzing 10 billion-year-old starlight in distant galaxies to the Walmart data scientist grappling with the hundreds of millions of parameters lurking in the retailer’s supply chain. Every two weeks, we’ll bring you another tale, another 25-minute interview, as we build a real-time oral history of AI that’s already garnered nearly 3.4 million listens and been acclaimed as one of the best AI and machine learning podcasts. Listen in and get inspired.

https://blogs.nvidia.com/ai-podcast/

NVIDIA’s Jim Fan Delves Into Large Language Models and Their Industry Impact - Ep. 204

The AI Podcast

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