The hottest Applications Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

January Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 17 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Data science Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Ethics Applications
  1. Data science and AI are rapidly evolving fields, with 2024 being a particularly exciting year for advancements. As we move into 2025, the trends and stories from last year will continue to shape the future.
  2. Ethics in AI is a crucial topic that remains relevant, especially around issues like bias and safety. The way AI is developed and used needs careful consideration to align with human interests.
  3. There are many practical applications and resources available for learning about data science and AI. From tutorials to real-world examples, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and apply AI technologies.

Must Learn AI Security Compendium 3: Exploring the Different Types of AI Technology

Rod’s Blog • 59 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI Applications Challenges Types Future
  1. AI can be categorized into Narrow AI, General AI, and Super AI based on capabilities, each with different levels of human-like intelligence.
  2. AI can also be classified based on functionality into Reactive Machines, Limited Memory, Theory of Mind, and Self-awareness, each with unique ways of processing information and interacting with the environment.
  3. Applications of AI in various industries like healthcare, finance, transportation, and retail are transforming decision-making, efficiency, and innovation, but ethical considerations and challenges like data quality and interpretability must be addressed for responsible AI development.

Must Learn AI Security Compendium 2: Generative AI vs. Machine Learning

Rod’s Blog • 59 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Generative AI Applications Ethics
  1. Machine learning empowers computers to learn from data without explicit programming, helping them make predictions and decisions.
  2. Generative AI focuses on creating new data based on training data, emphasizing creativity and innovation.
  3. Both machine learning and generative AI have unique applications - from fraud detection and image recognition in machine learning to image generation and music composition in generative AI.
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Sunday Letter - let's leave the typewriter behind

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Applications Documents Collaboration User Experience
  1. Documents have changed a lot, but they still feel stuck in the past, like from the typewriter days. We need to rethink how we create and interact with documents to make them more useful and dynamic.
  2. AI can help us create smarter, more interactive documents that understand our needs. Instead of just being static text, documents could be live conversations that adapt to what we want.
  3. It's time to move beyond old ideas of fixed applications. We should expect software to understand us better and respond to our needs in a more flexible way, just like we would have a conversation.

The Wide and Wondrous World of Centaurs and Agents

Future History • 170 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Automation Software Applications Machine Learning
  1. Centaurs and Agents are a new type of software that blend human input with autonomous decision-making capabilities.
  2. Individuals benefit more from Centaurs than companies due to easier adoption and productivity gains.
  3. Small, specialized AI applications will be in high demand, bridging the gap between different software systems and reducing tedious tasks.

What is a data product?

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Products Interfaces Applications
  1. A data product can take various forms and be consumed in different ways, always requiring an interface for consumption.
  2. From raw data like CSV files to refined database tables, streams, JSON files, and ORM abstracted layers, all can be considered data products.
  3. BI tools, AI automation, and semantic layers play crucial roles in creating consumable data products for various industries, making data more refined and accessible.

Understanding The Role of Vector DB in AI Application

The Beep • 19 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Databases Software Applications Data science
  1. Vector databases are designed to handle complex and unstructured data, making them great for AI applications like semantic search and face recognition. They convert information into high-dimensional vectors that are easy to work with.
  2. Unlike traditional databases, vector databases can manage different types of data such as text, images, and audio, which makes them very versatile. They're like a Swiss Army knife for managing data.
  3. Vector databases play a crucial role in enhancing AI capabilities, providing better access and analysis of data, which leads to smarter applications, including smart assistants and more.

3 ways to improve LLM Agent chains with debugging

LLMs for Engineers • 59 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Applications Tools
  1. Keep an eye on the costs when using LLM chains. Each call adds to the total, and this can add up quickly with many queries.
  2. Use clear and meaningful names for API parameters. This helps improve the accuracy and reliability of LLM-powered applications.
  3. Make sure your LLM chains actually call the necessary tools. Sometimes, the system might pretend to do it without following through, which can lead to problems.

Bureaucracies & Artificial Intelligence

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Bureaucracy Government Applications Challenges
  1. Bureaucracies have been a part of societies for a long time, essential for running cities and administrations.
  2. Artificial intelligence tools like Generative AI are starting to be integrated into government bureaucracies, potentially impacting processes like issuing fishing licenses.
  3. The interaction between bureaucrats and AI agents within bureaucracies poses challenges, such as accountability for mistakes and the influence on laws and regulations.

What Is LangChain Expression Language (LCEL)?

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Programming Applications
  1. LangChain Expression Language (LCEL) helps build applications using large language models. It simplifies the process of creating apps by breaking down components into a clear sequence.
  2. LCEL combines pro-code and low-code approaches, making it easier for developers to create reusable pieces of code. This can save time and help manage complexity in applications.
  3. With LCEL, you can run operations like invoking and batching in a structured way. This makes it easier to manage how different parts of an application work together.

February Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 5 implied HN points • 01 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Data science Research Applications Ethics
  1. AI and Data Science are rapidly evolving fields with new projects and innovations popping up all the time. It's important to stay updated with the latest research and applications.
  2. Ethics in AI is a huge concern, with ongoing discussions about bias, privacy, and the regulation of AI technology. People are looking for ways to use AI responsibly.
  3. There's a growing demand for skilled professionals in AI, particularly in areas like AI Product Management, which is becoming a hot job opportunity.

Graphene: New Comprehensive Study, Degradation, and Industry Trends

Tessa Fights Robots • 43 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🔬 Science Research Toxicity Applications Biology Industry
  1. A recent study highlighted the toxicity and degradation of graphene, raising concerns about its broad applications and potential hazards on the environment and human health.
  2. Further research is needed on the degradation of graphene-based nanomaterials to understand their environmental impact and health risks. Some compounds like humic acid and specific enzymes play a role in the biodegradation process.
  3. Graphene is a trending material in various industries, but there are growing concerns about its safety, likening it to the new asbestos or Glyphosate 2.0. Monitoring industry trends and applications of graphene is important for understanding its impact.

How to make history with LLMs & other generative models

Leigh Marie’s Newsletter • 74 HN points • 21 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Infrastructure Applications Observability Privacy
  1. LLMs like Github Copilot can augment developer productivity and provide new opportunities for AI-enabled developer tools startups
  2. Generative models can significantly enhance efficiency for knowledge workers in fields like consulting, legal, medical, and finance, offering potential for startups in these areas
  3. New infrastructure opportunities exist around running large models locally, providing compute resources for model training, and challenging incumbents in ML frameworks and chips

When Does Science Self-Correct? Lessons from a Replication Crisis in Early 20th Century Chemistry

The Good Science Project • 63 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🔬 Science Chemistry Psychology Replication Applications
  1. Science can struggle to correct errors from the scientific record, even with healthy reforms in place.
  2. Non-replicable findings can still hold influence and get cited as much as replicable ones.
  3. Natural sciences can swiftly correct mistakes with practical consequences, while social sciences face challenges in self-correction due to less tangible applications and high acceptance of contradictory findings.

Robots And How We’re Socializing Them

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Robots AI Socialization Applications Evolution
  1. Robots are becoming more essential due to global population declines and increasing need for automation in various sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and military.
  2. Society is changing how robots are perceived, shifting from fear and vilification to acceptance and assistance, through increased visibility in media and toy market.
  3. The way robots are being socialized, presented positively as helpers rather than threats, will play a significant role in their sociocultural acceptance and integration into daily life.

SociaLLM: proposal for a language model design for personalised apps, social science, and AI safety research

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Social Science Research Applications Training
  1. SociaLLM is a foundation language model trained on chat, dialogue, and forum data with stable message authors and timestamps.
  2. Industrial applications of SociaLLM include personalized content recommendations, customer service, education, and mental health support.
  3. SociaLLM has research and AI safety applications in social science, collective intelligence, and studying mechanisms to prevent deception and collusion in AI.

LangChain & LLM Based Autonomous Agents

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Software Automation Data Applications
  1. Large Language Models (LLMs) can be programmed with reusable prompts. This helps in integrating them into bigger applications easily.
  2. Creating chains of interactions allows LLMs to work together in a structured way for more complex tasks.
  3. Agents can operate independently, using tools to find answers without being stuck to a fixed plan, making them more flexible.

How I started with the Power Platform

Power Platform News • 19 implied HN points • 05 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Development Applications Microsoft Data Automation
  1. The user shares their journey of building a Powerapps application to track multiple sites and divisions, showcasing the power of Power Platform in simplifying complex tasks.
  2. They found Microsoft Powerapps to be a user-friendly solution for building applications, especially when integrated with SharePoint Online lists for data management.
  3. By optimizing user onboarding through automation with Power Automate, they efficiently scaled to onboard 700 users in a week, demonstrating the importance of streamlining processes for user support.

Why Boring Technologies Are Exciting

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Innovation Business Applications Hardware Market
  1. Exciting innovations often arise from technologies that have become mundane and boring.
  2. Significant technological advancements can be found in sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and energy grids.
  3. Value and impact of technologies are not solely determined by mass consumer adoption but also by their silent contributions to society.

Introducing... Cubicle!

polymathematics • 39 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Software Productivity Web Tools Workflow Applications
  1. Cubicle is a new web app designed to help people stay productive at work. It uses a Pomodoro technique to balance work and breaks.
  2. The app encourages users to set specific tasks to complete in short bursts, helping to focus on the most important goals.
  3. By using timers and structured tasks, Cubicle aims to make work sessions more efficient and engaging.

Blockchain: Fad or future?

A Bit Gamey • 27 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Blockchain Cryptocurrencies Applications Security Future
  1. Blockchain is a secure and tamper-proof way of storing information through a distributed database.
  2. Blockchain has diverse uses beyond cryptocurrencies, including financial transactions, supply chain management, healthcare, voting, and intellectual property.
  3. The future of blockchain involves potential applications like smart contracts, decentralized applications, IoT security, and government transparency, indicating it's more than just a passing trend.

The value-destroying potential of AI

Apperceptive (moved to buttondown) • 32 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Software Metrics Chatbots Applications
  1. Many businesses struggle to measure the true value of implementing AI solutions.
  2. The key problem lies in defining and measuring what 'good driving' or 'good writing' actually means.
  3. Executives should be cautious about overly relying on AI like ChatGPT for creative tasks, as they may miss out on the unique perspectives and insights that humans offer.

Edge 379: A Summary Of Our Series About LLM Reasoning

TheSequence • 14 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Research Tech Models Applications
  1. The series explored different methods and technologies related to reasoning in Large Language Models (LLMs).
  2. Reasoning in LLMs involves working through problems logically to reach conclusions, emerging at a certain scale and not applicable to small models.
  3. The series covered topics like Chain-of-Thought (CoT), System 2 Attention (S2A), tree-of-thoughts, and graph-of-thoughts as techniques for LLM reasoning.

November Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 23 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Data science AI Research Generative AI Applications
  1. The newsletter covers various topics in Data Science and AI including ethics, research, and practical applications.
  2. Committee activities include calls for new members, updates on AI Safety Summit, and announcements for events like the Christmas social.
  3. The newsletter also highlights significant developments in AI research, such as GenAI, robotics, and Large Language Models.

These Are The Challenges When Creating A LLM Based Conversational Interface

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI LLMs Chatbots NLP Applications
  1. Creating conversational interfaces with language learning models (LLMs) is tricky because the responses can be very different each time. This makes it hard to keep conversations flowing smoothly.
  2. If you change something small in the middle of a conversation, it can mess up everything that comes after. This makes planning the conversation a bit complicated.
  3. As these chatbots get more complex, we can use groups of connected steps to manage the conversation better. Future tools might make it easier for people to design these conversations without coding.

Useful until we're useless

Lowly Midwestern Engineer's Newsletter • 38 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Automation Progress Applications
  1. People expect AI to be perfect now, but we should focus on its value and improvement trends.
  2. AI has already changed lives in various fields like content creation, natural language search, and driving experiences.
  3. AI technology is rapidly improving, with bigger and more efficient models being developed, leading to potential future models that could outperform humans.

AI Explained: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

Year 2049 • 8 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data science Applications Education
  1. RAG solves problems with AI like hallucinations, outdated knowledge, being too general, and privacy concerns
  2. RAG allows for retrieving specific knowledge, adding new updated documents easily, and not training the AI on your data
  3. RAG can be used to create assistants for tasks like onboarding new employees, customer service, coding, and design, improving productivity through knowledge access

March Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 11 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data science AI Ethics Research Applications
  1. The newsletter discussed various updates and activities in the field of data science and AI, including committee activities, advancements in research, and real-world applications.
  2. Ethical considerations, bias, diversity, regulation, and safety in AI and data science were highlighted as hot topics in the newsletter, with examples of AI-related consequences and efforts to improve safety.
  3. The newsletter also featured practical tips, how-to guides, and bigger picture ideas in the field, providing a broad range of information for data science practitioners.

Group Theory Application Webinar Reminder

Quantum Formalism • 19 implied HN points • 23 Mar 22
🔬 Science Group Theory Applications Webinar Symmetry
  1. Don't miss the Group Theory application webinar today at 5pm GMT with Owen Tanner from Glasgow University.
  2. Register for Lecture 03 on the abstract notion of a 'zero element' at [https://www.crowdcast.io/e/group-theory-lecture-03](https://www.crowdcast.io/e/group-theory-lecture-03).
  3. Join the Discord community at [https://discord.gg/SPcmcsXMD2](https://discord.gg/SPcmcsXMD2) for group study sessions and interactions.

Building LLM application using RAG

Mindful Matrix • 1 HN point • 07 Apr 24
🕹 Technology AI Data processing Cloud Computing Machine Learning Applications
  1. LLMs have limitations like not being able to update with new information and struggling with domain-specific queries.
  2. RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) architecture helps ground LLMs by using custom knowledge bases for generating responses to queries.
  3. Building a simple LLM application using RAG involves steps like loading documents, splitting data, embedding/indexing, defining LLM models, and retrieval/augmentation/generation.