What does it take to train a frontier model? What's the know-how, the secret sauce that makes firms lets OpenAI and Deepmind push the limits of what's possible? How much are Chinese firms benefitting from western open source, and in the long term is it possible for western labs to maintain an edge?
The hosts of the excellent Latent Space podcast, Alessio Fanelli of Decibel VC and Shawn Wang of Smol AI, come on to discuss.
We get into:
Outtro music: CHEKI https://open.spotify.com/track/1zKL2bOEkMDGuIjLhG34YA?si=9a713a88aa3d4f71
Cover photo: "Inkstand with A Madman Distilling His Brains" 1600s Urbino. Kind of like training a model! https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/188899
The met description: In this whimsical maiolica sculpture, a well-dressed man leans forward in his seat with his head in a covered pot set above a fiery hearth. The vessel beside the hearth almost certainly held ink. The man’s actions are explained by an inscription on the chair: "I distill my brain and am totally happy." Thus the task of the writer is equated with distillation—the process through which a liquid is purified by heating and cooling, extracting its essence.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can AI Be Governed?
PLA Purges + Taiwan War Risk
Jason Furman on Inflation and Policymaking
How to Process Violence
EMERGENCY POD: Export Controls Dropped!
Cities of Slaughter
EMERGENCY POD: Two Views from Israel on Hamas + China-Middle East Relations
Kurt Campbell on Grand Strategy and US-China
Deep Tech VC On AI, Chips, and US-China Competition
Peak China with Noah Smith and Matt Klein
EMERGENCY POD: Huawei's Breakthrough, the Technical, Industrial and Strategic Implications
Why Congress Can Save Us All
How China Regulates AI
Culture Month! Painting in Premodern China
"Emergency" Pod: Outbound Investment Screening!
Beyond Decoupling: NATO for Trade
Culture Month! Indie Chinese Music Hour with Concrete Avalanche
How Can the Pentagon Trust AI?
EMERGENCY POD: Qin Gone!
Taiwan’s Presidential Elections: A Primer
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free