Wow, AI is everywhere these days, isn't it?
Like every time I check the news,
there's something about some crazy new AI thing.
Yeah, it's a lot to keep up with for sure.
That's why we're doing this deep dive right
to try and make sense of it all.
We're gonna look at a bunch of different stuff today,
like tech articles, research papers,
even a company blog post or two,
you know, to get the full picture.
It's definitely more than just hype at this point though.
Absolutely.
We're seeing real change driven by AI,
like did you hear about the Nobel Prize
in physics this year?
I didn't know.
Yeah, it went to John Hopfield and Jeffrey Hinton
for their work on, get this, artificial neural networks.
Wow, the Nobel Prize, that's a pretty big deal.
Yeah, it is.
Okay, neural networks, so that always kind of sounded
like, I don't know, science fiction to me.
I get that.
What does it actually mean in the real world?
Basically, neural networks are like the brains behind
a lot of the AI we use every single day.
Okay.
Like when your phone unlocks using facial recognition.
That's neural networks.
Or those language translation apps
everyone uses when they travel.
Neural networks, again.
So it's not just some abstract concept then,
it's actually like.
It's already here.
Wow, that's kind of wild.
It makes that Nobel Prize even cooler actually.
Right, and the pace of development is only increasing.
Yeah, for sure.
Which is why it's so important to understand the impact,
you know.
And speaking of impact, I saw this article
from eSchool News and get this,
they're talking about a new AI guide
specifically for students.
Makes sense, right?
Yeah.
AI literacy is gonna be essential for kids going forward.
100%.
We've got to equip them to deal with this stuff.
And that starts with education.
Absolutely.
It's crazy how fast AI research turns into
like actual products and services, you know.
Yeah, it's really impressive.
And one of the coolest areas where that's happening
is reality capture.
Reality capture.
Yeah, there's this video blog post here
that goes into it.
Okay.
It's all about using tech to like recreate
real places in the digital world.
Oh, right, like those 3D standards
they use for video games and stuff?
Exactly, that's one way to do it.
Huh, cool.
It usually involves things like LiDAR,
which is how those self-driving cars see.
LiDAR, so it's like what, lasers instead of radar?
Exactly, it's super precise,
maps out the whole environment in 3D.
Wow.
And then there's photogrammetry,
which is using photos to make 3D models.
Okay, I kinda get that.
This stuff isn't just for games though.
Yeah.
Architects use it, construction companies,
even museums to preserve artifacts.
Wild.
But where does the AI come in?
It can't just be about the scanning, right?
You got AI takes it to a whole other level.
How so?
See, normally you need tons of data
to make these 3D models look real.
Right.
But AI can do it with way less,
which is a game changer.
Really?
Yeah, this Nvidia post talks about these things
called NERF-Fs, which are like neural radiance fields.
There's a lot of them.
NERF-Fs, okay.
And then there's Gaussian splatting,
which I don't even know how to explain that one.
Gaussian what?
Yeah, it's pretty technical.
But basically this means, what?
We can have like digital twins of real things
that look photorealistic.
Basically, yeah.
Imagine like being able to explore ancient Rome
on your VR headset or trying on clothes virtually,
but it's like looking in a mirror.
Okay, that's pretty mind blowing when you put it like that.
It's blurring the lines between real and virtual.
No kidding.
And speaking of blurring lines,
I saw these articles, Bloomberg and US News
both had it about Foxconn,
the company that makes iPhones.
Yeah, I think I saw that.
They're building a huge factory in Mexico
just to make Nvidia AI chips.
See, this is what I mean about a real impact.
Right.
They're making a big bet on AI.
Yeah.
Shows you where things are heading.
It's like global, the shift from education
now this manufacturing thing.
And it goes even deeper,
even into how we write software.
Really?
Yeah, there's this research paper here.
It's about something called SWE Bench,
which is basically a test to see how well AI can code.
So we're making AI prove it can program.
Yeah, like can it find or fix bugs,
write new code from scratch?
And can it?
It's getting good, surprisingly good.
Like scarily good.
Maybe a little.
It's making people wonder
if programmers will even have jobs soon.
Whoa, hold on, seriously.
It's a hot topic,
but I think it's more about AI helping us,
not replacing us entirely.
Like an assistant, you mean?
Exactly.
Take care of the boring stuff
so we can focus on the creative problem solving.
Okay, that makes more sense.
Could even make coding more accessible to people
who never learned it traditionally.
That's a good point, actually.
And speaking of AI shaking things up,
there's this announcement from SAP.
The software company.
Yeah, they're big on this stuff.
They're giving their AI assistant, Jool, a major upgrade.
What can this Jool thing do?
Well, this new version,
it's all about collaborative AI agents.
Collaborative?
Like imagine a whole team of AI is working together.
Each one's specialized.
So instead of just one AI,
it's like having a whole department of them.
Basically, yeah.
Okay, that sounds insanely powerful.
Right, like they give the example of dispute management.
Like customer service stuff.
Kind of, more like when businesses disagree
on invoices and payments.
Oh.
AI could sort through all that, find errors,
maybe even solve them automatically.
No more arguing over paperwork, I like it.
Exactly, or in accounting,
they could automate tons of tasks,
free up humans for more important work.
So no matter what job you do,
there's gonna be an AI for that soon.
It's starting to feel that way.
Wild.
But then there's this RECA announcement,
and this one, this one is something else.
RECA, the AI company, what they do.
They just released a new large language model.
Another one, there's a new one every week now.
I know, right?
But this one is called RECA Flash, and it's different.
Okay, I'm listening, what's so special?
This one understands more than just text.
You mean like what, code or something?
No, like images and audio.
Hold on, seriously?
Seriously, it can like watch a video
and tell you what's happening?
That's insane.
Right, think of the possibilities,
video editing, education,
even just analyzing security footage.
It's like AI is gaining senses.
And it gets even crazier.
How so?
RECA Flash is way better
at following instructions than other models.
Oh wow, that's a big deal for these language models.
Right, like remember that SW bench thing?
The coding test.
Yeah, RECA Flash aced it apparently.
Huh, shows you how fast things are moving.
All this talk about AI doing this and that,
it makes you wonder,
what are we humans even good for anymore?
It's a fair question,
and one we should be asking ourselves.
Right.
Like it's easy to get caught up in all the excitement,
but we can't forget that AI has the potential
to be really disruptive too.
Disruptive how?
Well, we already talked about jobs,
but it goes deeper than that.
It's about tower control.
Who gets to decide how this technology gets used?
Okay, that's getting a bit heavy.
I know, but that's the thing,
this isn't science fiction anymore, it's real life.
It really does feel like we're on the edge of something huge.
Like AI is breaking out of the labs
and into, well, everything.
It's definitely a pivotal moment, that's for sure.
Exciting, yeah, but also a little bit,
I don't know, intimidating.
You know, kidding, it's a lot to process.
It is, and that's why we're talking about it, right?
To try to wrap our heads around it all.
Exactly, so for our listener,
you know, the one who's been with us
through this whole AI roller coaster,
what's the main thing,
the thing they should really take away from all of this?
I think it's that AI isn't some abstract thing anymore.
It's actually real, it's here, it's impacting our lives.
And not just in like small ways either.
Exactly, we're talking big changes, fundamental shifts,
and we're just getting started.
It's like we're seeing the first few cracks in the pavement,
but that whole sidewalk is about to be totally uprooted.
That's a great analogy,
because once these changes start happening,
they tend to happen fast.
So buckle up, basically.
Yeah, pretty much.
But it's not all doom and gloom, right?
There's a lot of good that can come from this, right?
Absolutely, tons potential, but it's up to us,
all of us, to steer it in the right direction.
Okay, so how do we do that?
What can our listener do, like practically,
to navigate this AI-powered future?
First, don't be afraid of it, learn about it.
Easier said than done,
it seems pretty complicated sometimes.
It can be, sure, but there are so many resources
out there now, online courses, books, even podcasts.
Like this one, Shameless Plug.
Exactly, the point is, the more you know about AI,
the better prepared you'll be no matter what you do.
And don't just be a bystander, right, get involved.
Exactly, this technology is gonna impact all of us,
so we need to be part of the conversation.
Make our voices heard, right.
Exactly, be informed, ask questions, challenge assumptions,
that's how we shape the future we want.
Okay, that's a great message, really gets you thinking.
It's not about being an optimist or a pessimist about AI,
it's about being proactive, being engaged.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Well, this has been quite the deep dive, hasn't it?
It really has, so much to unpack,
and we've just scratched the surface.
That's the thing about AI, right?
There's always something new to learn,
always something more to explore.
Absolutely, it's an ever-evolving field,
which makes it both challenging and endlessly fascinating.
And on that note, we should probably wrap things up.
Yeah, good idea.
But hey, to our listener,
thanks for sticking with us through this,
it's been a wild ride.
It has, but the conversation doesn't end here.
Exactly, so keep learning, keep asking questions,
and most importantly, stay curious.
Couldn't agree more, because the future of AI,
well, that's still being written.
And who knows, maybe our listener
will be the one writing it.
Wouldn't that be something?
That's all the time we have for today,
but we'll be back next time with another deep dive
into the world of AI.
Until then, take care.