I’ll be talking about conversational artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT, their upsides and downsides, and what I and other people are doing to prepare for an age where AIs are commonplace.
If you can catch it on TV or via their live streaming site, give it a watch! I’ll also see about getting an online version that I can post here.
I need a description of the original “Star Wars” film suitable for a magazine, but with an advertisement for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads somehow inserted into said description. Use big, Hollywood-style promotion language.
ChatGPT’s reply:
In a galaxy far, far away, a timeless epic unfolds, introducing audiences to an unforgettable cast of characters and an intergalactic battle between good and evil. “Star Wars” is a cinematic masterpiece that has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations.
From the moment the iconic opening crawl begins, viewers are transported into a world of adventure and excitement. Join Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo as they embark on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Princess from the clutches of the evil Empire. But their journey will not be easy, as they face off against ruthless stormtroopers, fierce battles, and treacherous villains.
As the story unfolds, audiences are swept away by the thrilling action sequences, the breathtaking special effects, and the iconic soundtrack. But amidst the chaos and excitement, there’s also a heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty, and heroism that continues to resonate with viewers today.
And now, as you watch this timeless classic, experience the magic of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads. With their powerful cleaning technology, these pads can tackle even the toughest stains and dirt, leaving your home sparkling clean. So whether you’re battling the Empire or just fighting a messy kitchen, trust Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads to get the job done right.
In the end, “Star Wars” is more than just a movie. It’s a cultural phenomenon that has inspired countless spin-offs, sequels, and even its own theme park. So come along for the ride, and may the force be with you – and Mr. Clean!
Want to get a head start on the artificial intelligence wave? Among other things, you’ll need to get a solid understanding of Python and machine learning, and the $10 level of Humble Bundle’s “Cookbooks for Coders” bundle has three great books to get you started:
Plus, you get seven other books covering a number of topics. I personally would benefit from the React, PowerShell, Raspberry Pi, and Regular Expression cookbooks.
I love the “cookbook” format, since it lives in the space between reference books, which are often too dry and provide no usage examples, and tutorials, which can often be a little too directed at solving one problem. Cookbooks give you just enough information to learn how to use a particular language or framework feature so that you can apply that knowledge to solving your particular problem or building the app that you have in mind. I find that I learn the most about a language or framework when I use material from cookbooks and other people’s code in building my own application ideas.
The “Cookbooks for Coders” Humble Bundle is available for another 13 days at the time of this writing. For ten dollars, it’s a pretty sweet deal. I’ve already picked it up, and if you want to get in on some of the machine learning opportunities that are already coming in fast and furious, you should too!
It has a format: My preferred format for coding meetups is to make it a “code along with me” exercise:
You bring a laptop
I give you a starter project
I put the starter project up on the big screen and start adding code, explaining along the way
You code along with me and ask questions or make suggestions if you have any
We run the code and make changes, and if we’re doing it right, those changes are improvements
If the changes are wrong, those changes are lessons, and we fix things
We leave with working code
It has a topic: For the first session, we’ll build ELIZA, the original chatbot, which simulates a therapist from the Rogerian school of thought (largely about getting you to talk more about yourself)
It has a sponsor for pizza and soft drinks: Sessions will be after work, and it’s hard to code on an empty stomach
But it doesn’t have a venue. I need a place with…
A screen and projector for me
Seats, tables, and power outlets for attendees
Bathrooms for all
A table in the back for the pizza and soft drinks
The sessions will typically happen once a month from 6 to 8 p.m. on a weeknight. I’ll set up and clean up. I’m expecting attendance of 20 – 30 people.
If you have a venue that you’d let me use for this meetup, I’d love to hear from you! I’d be happy to promote your organization on this blog and the Tampa Bay Tech Events list. Please contact me at joey@joeydevilla.com and let’s talk!
The video features Sat Ramphal, CEO and co-founder of Maya AI, a Tampa-based early-stage startup whose product is an analysis tool that derives insights from data and delivers those insights conversationally. Their target customers are businesses looking for suggestions and answers based on their company data, and they’ve already caught the attention of retail and pharmaceutical companies.
Maya AI’s co-founders, the Rampal brothers. From left to right: Sean, Sat, and Shivam.
ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI, specifically trained to generate human-like text based on its received input. It is capable of answering questions, providing information, generating content, and performing various other language-related tasks.
On the other hand, Maya AI is a more general AI platform that can be used for various applications and industries. It can perform various tasks, such as image and voice recognition, data analysis, and decision-making.In summary, while ChatGPT is a broader focus on language processing, Maya AI is a specifically focused AI platform with a wider range of capabilities and potential use cases.
I appear in two segments of the piece, along with:
Local realtor Chris Logan, who’s been using ChatGPT to speed up the (presumably tedious) process of writing up descriptions of houses for sale
University of South Florida associate director of the School of Information Systems and Management Triparna de Vreede, who talked about its possible malicious uses and what might be possible when AI meets quantum computing.
IP lawyer Thomas Stanton, who talked about how AI could affect jobs.
Watching the segment, it occurred to me that I need to light my office the way that the news crew did for the segment — it’s got such a great “cinematic hacker” vibe!
Also: My thanks to Kristin Moore for inviting me to be part of the piece!
Sure, the name’s unwieldy, but it does explain exactly what the group is all about:
Tampa Bay: It’s based in Tampa Bay. Sometime we’ll convene in Tampa, sometimes we’ll convene in St. Pete. We’re trying to serve “The Other Bay Area!”
AI: It’s going to be about artificial intelligence in all its forms. The “classical” or “symbolic” AI from the 60s and 70s to neural networks and backpropagation from the 80s and 90s to deep learning and statistical modeling from the 2000s and 2010s to the present day.
Python: It’s also going to be about the Python programming language, which combines simplicity and power. We’ll mostly focus on AI, but we’ll also delve into using Python to solve problems and get things done.
Hands-On Coding: It’s nice to talk about AI and Python, but more fun (and educational) to do something with it. Each meetup will be a “code-along” exercise we’re you’ll actually write code to sharpen your Python skills or do something AI-related!
Group 2 be Renamed Later: The name’s clunky, but the point is to get the group launched. We’ll eventually come up with a better one. As for using “2” instead of “to”: that’s so the group’s name fits within Meetup’s limit for group name length.
What will happen at our meetups?
They’ll be coding workshops, mostly in Python, one of the preferred languages for implementing artificial intelligence / machine learning / data science-driven applications.
We’ll follow the model I use for the Tampa Bay Apple Coding Meetup, the “code along with me” exercise. We’ll start each meetup with some kind of goal in mind and write code towards achieving that goal. The idea is for you to leave each meetup with at least a partially working application, if not a complete one, and with the understanding gained from having worked on that application.
What will you need at our meetups?
The technical requirements for this meetup are relatively simple:
A laptop that was made sometime in the past 10 – 12 years and has 4GB or more of RAM. This meetup is all about being hands-on and coding in a group setting, so you’ll need a computer that you can bring with you that can also run Python 3.9 or later.
Python 3.9. The current version is Python 3.11.something, but 3.9 will do. At the time of writing, Python 3.9 is the version that comes with Anaconda, a Python distribution that comes with a lot of utlities and libraries. It’s a great choice if you’re new to Python.
Rasberry Pi 4 Model B. Typically under US$100.
Just for kicks, I might lead a session using my Raspberry Pi as my demo machine.
What will we build?
I’ve already got the first few sessions planned out. I thought we’d start with a bang and code ELIZA, the very first chatbot, developed between 1964 and 1966 at MIT by Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum. It simulates a Rogerian therapist, using pattern matching to reflect what the patient says back at them or gets the patient to talk about what they just said.
The first few sessions will cover “classical” AI applications, such as ELIZA, tic-tac-toe, and simple sentiment analysis. We’ll work our way up to data science-style applications such as the “recommended if you like” system that a lot of ecommerce sites use. And then, neural networks. The goal is to try to work our way up to a scaled-down version of ChatGPT.
Along the way, we’ll cover Python, and the useful algorithms, data structures, and libraries that you can use. We’ll also cover the onerous task of cleaning up data, which is important to AI, and a topic that needs more coverage.
Where will the meetups take place?
I’m looking for a venue for the first meetup, and will announce it as soon as I’ve secured it. I want to hold meetups on both the Tampa and St. Pete sides of the bay, perhaps alternating. If you have suggestions, connections, or better still, a meetup venue, drop me a line!
