Okay, so we've got this paper and the title is a mouthful.
The dawn of GI agent, a preliminary case study with Claude 3.5 computer use.
Yeah, it sounds pretty intense.
So basically it's about an AI that can use a computer like just like a person would.
And the crazy part is it's not just about typing in commands.
Oh, OK. This AI actually interacts with the graphical user interface, you know,
all the clicking and typing and dragging stuff.
So like it's sitting there with a little AI mouse clicking around.
Well, not exactly.
It uses screenshots to see what's on the screen, kind of like taking a picture
and then figuring it out from there.
Wow. So how does it know what to actually do with all that information?
That's where it gets really interesting.
It uses something called a reasoning acting paradigm.
OK, I'm going to need you to break that down for me.
Basically, it looks at the screen and thinks, OK, to do this, I need to click here,
then type that. It's like it's planning out its actions.
So it's not just blindly following a set of rules.
Right. It actually problem solves.
And the researchers threw a bunch of different tasks at it.
Everything from web searches to like working across different software.
OK, so like what kind of tasks are we talking about here?
Give me some examples.
So imagine you need to like take data from a Google Sheet and put it into Excel.
Claude can handle that whole thing moving back and forth between programs.
Well, that would save me a ton of time.
Yeah. And it even tackled stuff in Word and PowerPoint, like formatting documents
and creating presentations.
They even had it adding specific shapes and designs.
Hold on. Is there anything this AI can't do?
Well, yeah, there are definitely some limitations,
especially with things like scrolling through pages
and being super precise with its actions.
OK, so it's not ready to take over our jobs just yet.
Not quite, but you can see the potential, right?
Oh, absolutely.
It really makes you think about what AI will be able to do in the future,
like even just a few years from now.
And that's what's so exciting about this research.
It's just the beginning.
There's so much more to explore and figure out.
All right. So we've established this AI can do some pretty incredible things,
but it's not perfect. Yeah.
Tell me more about those limitations. Where did it struggle?
One of the big things was scrolling.
It often relied on those page up and page down keys,
like flipping through a book instead of smoothly scrolling like we do.
So it might miss important information if it's not scrolling properly.
Yeah, exactly.
And that highlights one of the key areas for improvement, teaching these AIs
to understand the flow of information, how to navigate content more naturally.
Right. Makes sense.
What other areas did the researchers point out as needing work?
Precision was another one.
So, for example, when it was editing a resume in Word,
sometimes it only replaced part of the text
because it didn't select everything accurately.
Oh, that's a big deal, especially on a job application.
It's not just understanding what's on the screen,
but interacting with it at a really detailed level.
Gotcha. And then there's the issue of knowing if it's done something correctly or not.
Right. Like self-evaluation.
There were times where Claude thought it had nailed a task,
but it was only partially done or there were mistakes.
So it needs to be able to judge its own work better.
Yeah, exactly.
Like being able to say, wait, I messed that up and figuring out how to fix it.
This is also fascinating.
So we've got this AI that can handle pretty complex tasks,
but it's got room to grow.
That's a great way to put it.
The research is super promising,
but it also shows just how tricky it is to develop AI systems
that are truly reliable and robust.
Well, I'm definitely hooked.
In part two, let's dive deeper into those specific areas
where Claude really shined and where it still needs some work.
And we'll talk about what all of this means for the future of AI.
Looking forward to it.
We've just scratched the surface of what GUI agents can do.
There's so much more to uncover.
All right, welcome back.
So let's dig into some more of what Claude 3.5 computer use can do.
Yeah, you mentioned earlier that it could handle those multi-step workflows.
What really stood out to the researchers there?
Well, one example that really jumped out was its ability to download a Google
sheet, open it up in Excel and then like actually enable editing.
OK, so it's not just hopping between programs.
It's understanding what needs to happen in each one.
Exactly. And remember, this is all happening within the graphical user interface.
So the AI has to understand the layout of each program, the buttons,
the menus, all of that.
Like it's learning how to get around a new city, figuring out the streets and landmarks.
That's a great way to put it. It's not just seeing images.
It's understanding how they work together, how to use them.
OK, so complex workflows, check.
What other things did Claude really excel at?
It was also pretty impressive with office tasks.
Like think about formatting a Word document, creating a PowerPoint presentation
with a specific background, even adding shapes to a slide.
So are we talking basic formatting here or can it handle more advanced stuff?
Oh, it goes beyond the basics.
They had it creating presentations with gradient backgrounds, adding shapes
like triangles, positioning them precisely.
Wow, it's really starting to sound like this AI could be a huge help at work.
You know, taking care of all those little tasks that eat up so much time.
Exactly. And that's one of the big takeaways here.
GUI agents have the potential to completely change how we interact with
technology. We're not just talking about voice commands or typing anymore.
It's like the AI is right there with us using the computer, too.
And it's just the beginning.
Who knows what other applications will discover as this technology develops?
This is all pretty mind blowing.
But let's get back to those limitations for a second.
You mentioned scrolling and precision as areas for improvement.
What are the researchers doing to address those?
So with scrolling, one of the big focuses is developing better mechanisms,
you know, moving away from those clunky page up and down keys.
And teaching it to scroll more like a person would smoothly.
Right. It's about understanding the flow of information on a page,
not just the individual elements.
And how about precision?
So precision is all about that fine grained control.
It's the difference between selecting an entire text field versus
accidentally only replacing part of it.
So the AI needs a better understanding of like the spatial relationships
between things on the screen.
Exactly.
And that level of detail is super important for things like editing
documents or even playing video games.
Oh, yeah. You mentioned earlier that they tested Claude on some games.
How did that go?
Yeah, they used Hearthstone, which is a card game, and Hongkai,
Starrail, which is a more visual role playing game.
So different types of games, different skills required.
Did Claude hold its own?
It had some pretty impressive wins, especially with Hearthstone.
Like it could create a new deck of cards, rename it based on instructions,
even pull off complex in-game actions.
So it's adapting to a changing environment, making decisions on the fly.
That's what's so cool about this research.
We're not just talking about automating tasks.
It's about AI that can understand and interact with complex systems,
like whether it's a spreadsheet, a presentation, or even a virtual world.
It sounds like we're really on the verge of a major shift in how we use computers.
Yeah. I think that's a good way to put it.
GUI agents like Claude represent a whole new frontier for AI.
But as with any new tech, there are definitely challenges.
All right. So we've explored the strengths, how Claude handles complex workflows,
even tackles video games.
And we've touched on those areas where it needs some fine tuning,
like scrolling and precision.
And let's not forget about the crucial element of self-evaluation.
We'll dive into that and some of the other challenges,
as well as what all this means for the future of AI when we come back for part three.
So we've talked about all the cool things Claude can do,
but you also mentioned this idea of self-evaluation.
Like it needs to get better at judging its own work.
Yeah. And that's where this critic function comes into play.
A critic function. Okay. Explain that one to me.
So think of it like an inner editor.
You know how we can look at our own work and be like,
oh, I messed that up or that could be better?
That's kind of what we want Claude to be able to do.
So it's not enough to just follow instructions and complete the task.
It also needs to be able to say, did I do this right?
Exactly.
Recognizing errors, understanding why they happened,
and then figuring out how to fix them.
Okay. That makes sense.
But how do you even begin to teach an AI to be self-critical?
Well, it's definitely a tough challenge and researchers are trying different things.
One approach is to like give the AI feedback on its performance.
Oh, so it's like giving a student feedback on their homework.
Yeah, exactly.
Helping it learn what it did well and where it needs to improve.
This whole critic function thing is really fascinating.
It seems like a crucial step in developing AI that's more independent and reliable.
It really is.
If an AI can accurately judge its own work,
it can catch and fix mistakes without us having to step in.
Which would make them way more efficient and trustworthy.
Exactly.
Imagine AI systems that can manage projects, analyze data,
even write code, all while double checking their own work to make sure it's accurate.
It's pretty mind-blowing and maybe a little bit scary to think about AI
becoming that advanced.
It's powerful technology for sure,
and we need to be thoughtful about how we develop it.
Well, we've covered a lot of ground in this deep dive.
We've seen what Claude 3.5 computer use is capable of,
talked about its limitations,
even got a little philosophical with this whole critic function idea.
And it really highlights the incredible progress that's being made in AI.
We're seeing a real shift in how we interact with technology.
And this is just the beginning.
There's so much more to learn and explore.
But one thing's for sure, GUI agents like Claude
are pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
The potential applications are, well, pretty much endless.
It's both exciting and a little daunting, right?
Like, where is this all going to lead?
It's an incredible time to be following this field.
Who knows what the future holds,
but it's clear that AI is going to play an even bigger role in our lives.
Absolutely.
And it's up to us to stay informed and make sure it's developed and used responsibly.
Well said.
This deep dive into Claude 3.5 computer use has been a wild ride.
And I can't wait to see what comes next.