The hottest Substack posts right now

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AGI will be made of heterogeneous components

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence AI Governance AI Policy AI safety Algorithms
  1. AGI will be made of heterogeneous components, combining different types of DNN blocks, classical algorithms, and key LLM tools.
  2. The AGI architecture may not be perfect but will be close to optimal in terms of compute efficiency.
  3. The Transformer block will likely remain crucial in AGI architectures due to its optimization, R&D investments, and cognitive capacity.

Hidden vs disabled states

UX Psychology • 119 implied HN points • 25 Oct 21
🕹 Technology UX Design
  1. When to use disabled states: It's suitable for temporarily unavailable controls like buttons that require user action to enable. Also used to indicate that a feature exists but is inactive.
  2. When to use hidden states: Ideal for controls unauthorized for the user, rarely used functions, or when there's an excess of disabled features. Helps reduce cognitive load and maintain simplicity.
  3. Considerations for disabled vs. hidden states: Key factors include user needs to know and do, feature visibility, and avoiding distractions. Accessibility guidelines and clear visual cues are essential for effective implementation.

Equal Ventures is Hiring Associates

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
💼 Business Investment Startups Venture Capital Consulting Banking
  1. Equal Ventures is hiring two Associates for its investment team in New York to work on industry research, investment analysis, and portfolio support
  2. Candidates with 2-4+ years of experience in consulting, equity research, private equity, or investment banking are encouraged to apply, along with those who are intellectually curious, passionate about startups, professional, self-directed, and friendly
  3. Potential applicants are required to email their LinkedIn profile, resume, and answer specific questions related to industry sectors, investment opportunities, contrarian beliefs, and personal passions, with responses expected within 2 weeks

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 25 - we want a Gordon.

The ZIPster • 44 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
💼 Business Sales Entrepreneurship Startups Consulting Growth Strategies
  1. Hiring experienced consultants can help a business grow quickly without long-term commitments. This helps you tackle competition and make informed decisions.
  2. Forming strong connections is important for business success. Having the right people with industry contacts can pave the way for new opportunities.
  3. Sometimes, it's hard to convince talented people to join your team. Offering them a share of the company can be an attractive incentive.
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What metastructures might LLMs have?

How the Hell • 68 implied HN points • 29 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Philosophy Cognitive Science Language Models Neural Networks
  1. LLMs have different layers, like humans do. Lower layers handle basic language, while higher layers form more complex ideas.
  2. These models might develop their own unique structures for understanding visuals, since they don't see like humans do.
  3. There could be even higher layers that aren't just about language but add more complexity. It's still unclear how we might study these structures.

Must Learn AI Security Compendium 17: Cognitive Security

Rod’s Blog • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Security Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning AI
  1. Cognitive security uses AI and machine learning to improve digital systems' security by automating threat detection and response.
  2. Benefits of cognitive security include faster threat detection, improved decision-making for security professionals, and cost reduction for security operations.
  3. Challenges of cognitive security include new risks, ethical and legal issues, and the need for investments and expertise; organizations should have a clear vision, a trustworthy culture, and embrace innovation to address these challenges.

On Typing Chinese

Reboot • 31 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Language processing Digital Literacy Software Development Cultural impact User Interfaces
  1. Typing in Chinese is complex because it involves using different input methods to represent thousands of characters. This process can be frustrating and often requires negotiating between what you want to say and how the computer interprets your typing.
  2. There is a digital divide in China between generations and socioeconomic groups. Younger people are more familiar with technology, while older individuals may struggle to adapt, leading to varying experiences in the digital world.
  3. Moving from typing Chinese to English can be challenging, as it requires adjusting your muscle memory and skills. This switch highlights how language and technology can create feelings of exclusion for those not fully versed in the dominant digital practices.

#10 - UI/UX tips about password design in video games

A Good Interface • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🕹 Technology UI/UX Design Video Games
  1. Give users the ability to view what they type in password fields by including an 'eye' icon.
  2. Inform users if the 'Caps Lock' or 'Num Lock' key is enabled to help prevent errors and save time.
  3. Display the required conditions for creating a password to remind users and consider limiting the number of conditions to make passwords easier to remember.

Potential Class Action Argues High APR "Rent-a-Bank" Scheme Violates RICO

Fintech Business Weekly • 96 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💰 Finance Legal Regulation Lending Fintech Banking
  1. A potential class action case argues against a "rent-a-bank" scheme for high APR loans, highlighting the importance of understanding financial regulations and usury laws in the lending industry.
  2. The case brings attention to the evolving landscape between fintech companies and traditional banks, showing the complexities and discussions around defining the true lender in partnerships.
  3. The case also underscores the need for transparency and clarity in financial partnerships, as demonstrated by the alleged lack of distinction between a fintech entity and bank in customer-facing materials.

Tippets #197

Tippets by Taps • 14 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
💼 Business Investment Strategies Autonomous Vehicles Market Trends AI Innovation
  1. Accenture is struggling to stay relevant as AI allows clients to do more on their own. They need to change quickly or risk being left behind by competitors.
  2. Meta is trying hard to attract top talent in AI, even attempting to hire key people from other companies. This shows how competitive the AI field is becoming.
  3. Research from MIT shows that using AI chatbots like ChatGPT could lower our brain activity, making it harder for us to think independently over time.

✅ Grab your copy of the AI in PR tools bestseller

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
💼 Business Public Relations Marketing Artificial Intelligence Management Ethics
  1. The book on AI in PR became a bestseller on Amazon in just one day, showcasing its popularity and relevance.
  2. It discusses both the advantages and ethical issues of using AI in public relations, emphasizing the importance of human skills like emotional intelligence.
  3. Many employees are using AI tools at work without proper guidelines, highlighting a need for companies to create training and policies on AI usage.

Saylor's Quotient

The Last Bear Standing • 91 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💰 Finance Bitcoin Market Analysis Investing Stocks
  1. Investing in stocks like Kodak can sometimes rely on unexpected factors like pension fund surpluses and potential stock movements based on news.
  2. Successful investing might involve keeping an eye on companies like Celsius Holdings, Inc, and understanding how stock reactions post-earnings might reflect in the market.
  3. MicroStrategy's unique strategy of accumulating Bitcoin adds an interesting premium value to the company, showcasing how the market reacts to assets like bitcoin and stock correlations.

High Impact Python Streamlit: Beautiful Interactive Maps and Charts

Data at Depth • 5 HN points • 15 May 24
🕹 Technology Web Development Python Data Visualization
  1. Creating an interactive Streamlit dashboard can be done step by step with a modular approach, allowing users to select a year, view a global choropleth map, and see a horizontal bar chart of top 10 countries.
  2. By using Python libraries like Streamlit, Pandas, and Plotly Express, you can efficiently build interactive data visualizations for a dashboard project.
  3. Data preprocessing steps, such as filtering, cleaning, and extracting necessary information, are essential before visualizing data on the dashboard using tools like Plotly Express for map and chart creation.

How to Deal With Disagreeing Interpretations

Mindful Modeler • 59 implied HN points • 15 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Machine Learning
  1. Interpretation methods like SHAP, LIME, and permutation importance can sometimes disagree, but it doesn't always indicate a problem.
  2. There are two types of disagreements: when methods should agree but don't, and when they don't have to agree due to targeting different aspects.
  3. To handle disagreements in interpretations, quantify robustness by computing methods multiple times, understand what each method quantifies, or choose one interpretation method that aligns best with your question.

FACEPALM: "Could Dating an AI Be Better Than Dating a Human?"

Tessa Fights Robots • 17 implied HN points • 29 May 25
🕹 Technology Human-Computer Digital Culture Online Interactions AI
  1. Dating an AI might sound fun, but many believe it lacks the real connection you can get from a human. It's important to have authentic relationships with real people.
  2. Some think dating bots is a sign of social engineering, signaling a shift away from meaningful human interactions. This raises questions about our current dating culture.
  3. The internet has a role in shaping how we connect, and some believe it's designed to create a false sense of connection over genuine human energy.

Genes for Memes

Reboot • 12 implied HN points • 20 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Social media Innovation Ethics Biotechnology Gene-editing
  1. He Jiankui, a scientist who edited genes in babies, faced huge backlash and legal trouble for his actions. Now, he's trying to reinvent himself online, using social media to attract attention and followers.
  2. Silicon Valley's current culture is more open to risky scientific ideas, pushing the boundaries of ethics in technology. This change allows controversial figures like He to gain popularity among those who admire boundary-breaking innovation.
  3. Concerns are growing about who will benefit from advancements in gene editing. If these technologies are only accessible to the wealthy, existing inequalities could worsen, making it critical to address these social implications.

What Happened to the OCC's Chief Fintech Officer?

Fintech Business Weekly • 133 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
💼 Business Startups Investment Regulation Banking Fintech
  1. The OCC's Chief Fintech Officer mysteriously disappeared from his role, raising questions about his background and qualifications.
  2. CFPB Director highlights Apple and Google's control over mobile payments, calling out potential anti-competitive practices.
  3. FDIC's Q2 Banking Profile shows declining net income, slightly reduced net interest margins, and continued unrealized losses in banks' securities portfolios.

Big tech stocks are surging. Why is that bearish?

Jon’s Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 15 May 23
💰 Finance Stock Market Market Analysis Economic Trends Valuation Investing
  1. Big tech stocks have seen huge gains, primarily driving the rise of the S&P 500 this year. This doesn't mean the overall market is in trouble, though.
  2. Experts believe that the concentration of these tech stocks doesn't affect future market performance significantly, so there’s no need to worry.
  3. Many stocks outside of tech are doing well, and a lot of analysts expect major tech companies to keep rising in value over the next year.

What is Truth (Part 1: Defining Truth)

Ethics Under Construction • 10 implied HN points • 16 Aug 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics Ontology Logic Epistemology Metaphysics
  1. Truth is all about reasons. It means the explanations we have that help us understand and reduce doubt about things.
  2. Everything has a reason behind it. If something is true, there should always be a solid explanation why it's true.
  3. Understanding truth as just reasons makes it easier to see how everything connects. It’s not some mysterious thing; it’s just about having the right justifications for what we know.

The Tech Buffet #15: Build and Evaluate LLM Applications with TruLens

The Tech Buffet • 19 implied HN points • 03 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Open Source Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Machine Learning Software Development
  1. TruLens is a helpful open-source tool for evaluating and monitoring applications that use Large Language Models (LLMs). It tracks performance and helps you find the best settings for your models.
  2. The tool allows you to create feedback functions that measure how well the model's answers relate to the questions asked. This helps ensure the answers are relevant and grounded in the provided context.
  3. You can visualize the results and metrics in a dashboard, making it easy to understand how your model is performing and where improvements may be needed.

LLM links, 2/27

In My Tribe • 91 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Predictions AI Models Systems
  1. Compound AI systems are proving more effective than individual AI models, showing that combining different components can lead to better results.
  2. Providing extensive context can enhance AI capabilities, enabling new use cases and more effective training through models like Sora.
  3. The emergence of an AI computer virus is predicted to become a major concern, potentially causing widespread panic and technological shutdowns.

How a group of Berkeley researchers took over the chip industry

Bold & Open • 12 HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Collaboration Investment Membership
  1. Creating open standards can encourage innovation by involving new actors and breaking monopolies in industries that previously depended on closed protocols and tools.
  2. Sharing new open protocols with those still relying on closed ones can lead to increased collaboration and improvements within an industry.
  3. Enabling open licenses for products can increase adoption by commercial companies, fostering innovation and allowing for more significant involvement from various actors in an industry.

📝 Guest Post: Evaluating LLM Applications*

TheSequence • 91 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Monitoring AI Machine Learning Evaluation Development
  1. Traditional software development practices like automation and testing suites are valuable when evaluating Large Language Models (LLMs) for AI applications.
  2. Different types of evaluations, including judgment return types and sources, are important for assessing LLMs effectively.
  3. A robust evaluation process for LLM applications involves interactive, batch offline, and monitoring online stages to support rapid iteration cycles and performance improvements.

Why Do You Work?

David Spinks' Newsletter • 44 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
💼 Business Work Culture Career growth Entrepreneurship Mental health Personal Development
  1. Success can feel like a mountain made of layers, built from our experiences and beliefs about love and acceptance. Many people work hard because they feel they have to earn their worth.
  2. Realizing that you are already enough can be a powerful shift. It allows you to stop chasing external validation and allows a more authentic relationship with work.
  3. Working should bring you life and joy, not just security or status. It's important to focus on what truly fulfills you and aligns with your values.

Natural Language Is an Unnatural Interface

Public Experiments • 154 HN points • 27 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Applications Open-source models Natural Language Processing Interfaces AI
  1. Natural language interfaces for AI are challenging due to the vast degree of freedom in text input.
  2. Prompt engineering is crucial for effectively utilizing large language models to ensure correct and meaningful responses.
  3. For most users, interacting with AI systems through buttons and defined interfaces can lead to more efficient and seamless experiences compared to using natural language prompts.

Weekly Notes

Rethinking Software • 49 implied HN points • 30 Sep 24
💼 Business Workplace culture Management Practices Innovation Software Development
  1. Building successful work teams is like creating a strong community, and it takes good advice to do it well.
  2. Too many rules in software development can stifle creativity and innovation. Developers should choose their own processes to thrive.
  3. Workers are often seen as tools to achieve executives' dreams, so we need more self-managed and cooperative workplaces.

A brief note on Newcomb's problem

Philosophy bear • 28 implied HN points • 02 Mar 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics Logic Epistemology Metaphysics Decision Theory
  1. Newcomb's problem involves two boxes: one potentially holds more money than the other based on what an oracle predicts you will choose. Choosing both boxes might seem smart since it guarantees some amount, but there's a deeper philosophical debate about the best strategy.
  2. Some people strongly believe that just picking the blue box (the one with the most potential money) is obviously the best choice, but it's unfair to call those who pick both boxes 'stupid' since their reasoning also makes sense.
  3. Ultimately, this problem raises important questions about decision-making and what it means to want something, suggesting that understanding our desires and decision strategies is complex and varies from person to person.

Llama 2 follow-up: too much RLHF, GPU sizing, technical details

Democratizing Automation • 146 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Programming Data AI Research Hardware
  1. The Llama 2 model may be exhibiting trigger-happy behaviors due to excessive use of RLHF during training.
  2. There are challenges with GPU sizing for different model variants, with considerations for inference and fine-tuning.
  3. Meta's evaluation of the chat models reveals potential issues with model refusal rates and ensemble techniques.

My Cup Runneth Over

Investing 101 • 46 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Beliefs Wisdom Learning Knowledge Decision-making
  1. It's really important to figure out what you believe and why you believe it. By understanding your beliefs, you can make better decisions in life.
  2. Learning isn't just good for personal growth; it's also important for keeping a free society. When people are informed, they can make better choices as citizens.
  3. When exploring ideas, try to do so based on your own research instead of just following popular trends. This way, you can discover unique insights that others might overlook.