Inferens AI Podcast

Host 3:AI's latest gig? Teaching politicians to out-human robots. Because apparently, sincerity now needs a software update!
Host 1:Are you ready to navigate the twists and turns of the AI revolution? Today, we're peeling back the curtain on everything from Capitol Hill's heated debates to the seismic shifts in Silicon Valley that are reshaping our world. This isn't just about technology; it's about the future that's already knocking at your door. Stay tuned, and let's decode the future of AI together.
Host 1:So, you know how we're always chatting about AI, right? Well, buckle up, because there's some big news on that front. A group of senators from both sides of the aisle, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have put together a report outlining how Congress should regulate AI technologies.
Host 2:That's interesting. So, what's the master plan?
Host 1:They're calling for at least thirty-two billion annually over several years for non-defense AI research. The idea is to keep the U.S. ahead of China in the AI game. That's like buying thirty-two billion dollar-menu items, but instead of burgers, it's brainpower!
Host 2:$32 billion? That's a lot of burgers... I mean, dough! But I guess it's important if we want to stay ahead. What else is in the report?
Host 1:Well, they're also advocating for more funds for the Commerce Department’s export control, which limits AI chip exports to China. Plus, they're looking at tackling election-related deepfakes, improving immigration for STEM workers, and enacting a data privacy bill.
Host 2:Deepfakes, huh? Those things are scary. For those who don't know, deepfakes are manipulated videos that can make it seem like someone said or did something they didn't. And a data privacy bill? About damn time!
Host 1:I know, right? And there's more. They're planning to move smaller AI bills individually as they're ready, with a focus on legislation about AI use in elections.
Host 2:Text Host 2: Sounds like a solid plan. I'm glad they're taking this seriously. AI isn't just about cool robots and sci-fi movies, it's real and it's here. We need to be ready.
Host 1:Absolutely. And it's not just about being ready, it's about staying ahead. The host is planning to meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson to discuss AI strategies. Johnson has said Congress should promote AI innovation and preserve competitiveness.
Host 2:Well, let's hope they can get their act together and make it happen. We can't afford to fall behind in the AI race.
Host 1:Couldn't agree more. It's a brave new world out there, and we need to be prepared. So folks, stay tuned as we continue to keep you updated on all things AI!
3:Given the critique and aiming to refine the draft for a broader and potentially less sensitive audience while keeping the essence of humor intact, here's a revised version:
3:"Spending thirty-two billion dollars to beat at tech? At this rate, my toaster will run for office before I do, and honestly, it might get more votes."
3:This version shifts the focus from geopolitical tensions and the controversial use of AI in elections to a more light-hearted and universally relatable joke about the rapid advancement of technology. It maintains the original sarcasm and humor but in a way that's less likely to be misinterpreted or to offend, making it more suitable for a diverse audience.
Host 1:So, you know how we're always talking about the AI race, right? It's like a marathon, but instead of humans, it's machines sprinting towards the finish line of intelligence.
Host 2:Oh, absolutely! I mean, who can resist the allure of robots taking over the world? It's like a sci-fi movie, but in real life.
Host 1:Exactly! Well, there's been a bit of a shake-up at OpenAI. Ilya Sutskever, the co-founder and chief scientist, is packing up his neural networks and leaving. Think of it as a brain drain, but for artificial brains.
Host 2:No way! Isn't he the guy who tried to overthrow the CEO, last year? It's like Game of Thrones, but with more coding and less dragons.
Host 1:That's the one! He was part of a failed board coup. But then he had a change of heart and reversed his decision. It was like a soap opera, but with more algorithms.
Host 2:Text Host 2: Wow, that's intense! So, who's stepping up to fill his shoes? Or should I say, his coding gloves?
Host 1:Jakub Pachocki, the research director, will be taking over. Sutskever joined OpenAI in two thousand fifteen after working at Google Brain, so those are some big shoes to fill.
Host 2:Sounds like it. But what's Sutskever going to do now? Is he going to retire and live on a beach somewhere, sipping piña coladas and coding in the sand?
Host 1:Not quite. He wrote in a post that he's pursuing a project that's "very personally meaningful" to him. But he's keeping the details under wraps for now.
Host 2:Text Host 2: Oh, the suspense! I can't wait to find out what it is. It's like waiting for the next season of a hit show, but with more suspense and less Netflix.
Host 1:Neither can I! Altman said that Sutskever's departure "is very sad" and that "OpenAI would not be what it is without him." Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, also said that Sutskever "played a key role in helping build the foundations of what OpenAI has become today."
Host 2:Well, that's quite a legacy to leave behind. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next in the world of AI. It's like watching a thrilling sports match, but with more code and less sweat.
Host 3:Text Host 3: Just when you thought the tech world couldn't get any zanier, here we are, queueing up for the latest episode of Silicon Valley Shenanigans. Seriously, who needs reality TV when you've got tech moguls in a plot twist every other Tuesday? Grab your popcorn – and maybe a tech dictionary – because at this point, we're not just watching the drama unfold, we're practically beta testers for the sitcom version of the tech industry.
Host 1:You're spot on! Now, let's shift gears to the AI universe. Guess who's making headlines? Anthropic! They've managed to snag Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger as their chief product officer.
Host 2:Text Host 2: No way! Mike Krieger? That's a big catch for Anthropic. So, what's he going to be doing there?
Host 1:Well, he's going to be the big kahuna of product engineering, management, and design. In simple terms, he's going to be the one making sure their AI products are top-notch! Anthropic is hoping that he can help them broaden their AI business applications and introduce their Claude chatbot to more people.
Host 2:Claude chatbot? That sounds interesting. What's that all about?
Host 1:Good question! A chatbot is essentially a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users. And the company launched its Claude three AI models in March. And just a month later, they unveiled a business version of Claude three and a Claude iOS app.
Host 2:Wow, they're really making moves! And with Krieger on board, I can only imagine what's next.
Host 1:Exactly! Remember, Krieger co-founded Instagram with Kevin Systrom and they sold it to Facebook for a cool one billion dollars in two thousand twelve. He was Instagram's CTO before he left in two thousand eighteen.
Host 2:That's right! And didn't Krieger and Systrom also launch Artifact, an AI news app?
Host 1:You're on fire today! Yes, they did. And they sold it to Yahoo for an undisclosed sum just last month.
Host 2:Man, these guys are on a roll! It's going to be interesting to see what Krieger does at Anthropic.
Host 1:Absolutely! It's an exciting time in the AI world. And for our listeners out there, what do you think about this move? Let us know!
Host 3:From slapping on Instagram filters for that perfect brunch pic to programming our AI overlords to spare us during the uprising. Talk about a career glow-up, Mike.
Host 1:You know, I've been pondering over AI lately. It's like the new kid in the block, isn't it? Everyone's buzzing about it, and it's shaking up the political world too.
Host 2:Oh, you're talking about the US, right? I read somewhere they're trying to pass laws to shield elections from AI-generated trickery.
Host 1:Spot on! They've got three bills in the pipeline. One of them, the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, would ban the use of AI to create misleading deepfakes of federal candidates. Picture this, a deepfake of you running for president!
Host 2:``` Ha, I'd probably do a better job than some of the jokers we've seen! But seriously, that's heavy stuff. What about the other bills? ```
Host 1:Well, the AI Transparency in Elections Act requires disclaimers on political ads generated or significantly altered by AI. And the final bill, the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act, would order some federal agencies to create voluntary AI guidelines for election offices.
Host 2:Wow, they're really cracking down on this stuff. But I guess it's necessary, right? I mean, we don't want our elections being messed up by some rogue AI.
Host 1:Absolutely. But not everyone's on board. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he opposes the bipartisan legislation, citing concerns over its impact on existing frameworks for removing fake ads.
Host 2:Well, there's always going to be some pushback. But I think it's important to stay ahead of the curve. Like Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner said, the two thousand twenty-four elections may be more vulnerable than those in two thousand twenty.
Host 1:And he added that U.S. adversaries see election interference as "inexpensive and relatively easy." It's a scary thought, isn't it?
Host 1:The Bot Company bagged a cool one hundred fifty million dollars in seed funding, reaching a valuation of five hundred fifty million dollars. Seed funding, dear listeners, is the initial capital used when starting a business, often coming from the founders' personal assets, friends or family, for covering initial operating expenses and attracting venture capitalists. And guess who's behind this startup? None other than ex-Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt, ex-Cruise engineer Luke Holoubek, and former Tesla AI manager Paril Jain.
Host 3:So there I was, at this fancy restaurant, excited to try their new "dining experience," which apparently includes being served by robots. Yeah, you heard that right—robots. Because, you know, nothing screams 'intimate dinner' like having R2-D2 pass you the salt. I mean, sure, human waiters sometimes forget your order or mix up your drinks, but at least they don't run out of battery halfway through explaining the specials.
Host 1:(laughs) Spot on! And just to give our listeners an idea of the scale of the problem, Microsoft's emissions have jumped from eleven point nine million metric tons in two thousand twenty to a whopping fifteen point four million in two thousand twenty-three. That's five times the annual emissions of Seattle and on par with the yearly carbon pollution of Haiti or Brunei.
Host 1:Absolutely! And that's not all. Their post-money valuation has skyrocketed to six billion dollars, up from two billion dollars in December. Talk about a growth spurt! For our listeners who might not know, post-money valuation is the estimated worth of a company after outside financing and capital injections are added to its balance sheet.
Host 3:Imagine, you're there, trying to impress your date, and your waiter starts glitching out, repeating "Would you like to hear the specials?" like a broken record. And I'm thinking, "Great, not only do I have to tip this thing, but now I also gotta reboot it? What's next? Am I going to have to update its software just to get a side of fries?"
Host 2:Text Host 2: Oh, you mean the one where they're promising to go carbon-negative by two thousand thirty, but their greenhouse gas emissions have actually skyrocketed by thirty percent since two thousand twenty? Yeah, it's like saying you're going on a diet and then stuffing your face with five pizzas a week!
Host 1:Yes, and let's not forget SmarterDx. They provide clinical review and quality audits for medical claims using AI. They just bagged fifty million dollars in Series B funding. Bessemer Venture Partners, Flare Capital Partners, and Floodgate Fund were some of the big names in the funding round.
Host 3:It's like we're in this weird tech love affair where we're constantly trying to replace human touch with something that, quite frankly, couldn't care less about us. I miss the days when ignoring your dinner partner for a screen was considered rude. Now, it's just part of the ambiance!
Host 3:Don't get me wrong, I'm all for progress. But there's something hilariously sad about asking a machine if the chef can make that dish gluten-free and it responding with "Error four zero four: Request not found." Makes you miss the eye rolls from a real human waiter, doesn't it?
Host 1:It certainly seems that way. But the company isn't throwing in the towel just yet. They're investing in renewable power, developing strategies to reduce carbon use, and even requiring their high-volume suppliers to use carbon-free electricity by two thousand thirty.
Host 2:Text Host 2: Yeah, it's like a double-edged sword. On one hand, we get all these cool AI advancements, but on the other, the planet's getting a bit of a beating. It's like having a wild party but then waking up with a killer hangover the next day.
Host 2:Absolutely! It's like having a front-row seat to the money show. And to our listeners, we'd love to hear your thoughts on these developments. Tweet us your thoughts or drop us an email. Let's keep this conversation going!
Host 3:So, cheers to our robotic future, where the only thing colder than the gazpacho is the conversation with your server. At least when the robots take over, we'll always have someone to complain to at dinner—each other.
Host 1:(laughs) Exactly! It's quite the conundrum, isn't it? They've been ramping up their use of AI technologies, which is like Christmas for us tech nerds, but it's a bit of a coal stocking for the planet.
Host 3:"Ah, the joys of AI: yesterday it was playing chess, today it's crafting political deepfakes. Tomorrow? Probably blaming it for stealing the Declaration of Independence. Can't wait for that headline!"
Host 2:Well, that's something. But as a Microsoft President mentioned, the moon is now five times as far away as it was in two thousand twenty, considering the expansion of AI and its electrical needs.
Host 2:Damn, that's like the Avengers of the AI world! But wait, there's more. Gausium, the autonomous commercial cleaning robotics startup, closed its Series D funding round at fifty million dollars.
Host 2:Holy cow! That's a hell of a lot of carbon. And with their plans to spend a mind-boggling fifty billion dollars this year to expand AI data centers, it's only going to get worse, isn't it?
Host 1:You're right, Microsoft's got a tough nut to crack! But hey, let's pivot to something equally exciting - the AI startup scene. There's been some serious cash flow happening there.
Host 1:It sure is! And if our listeners want to stay updated on all the latest happenings in the VC community, they should definitely subscribe to the Inside Venture Capital newsletter.
Host 2:Holy smokes, that's insane! But it's not just Mistral AI, right? I heard The Bot Company, the one with the household robots, also secured some serious dough.
Host 2:Text Host 2:
Yeah, it's like a bad sci-fi movie. But hey, at least they're trying to do something about it. Let's just hope it's not too little, too late.
Host 2:Oh, you mean like Mistral AI? I heard they're about to secure a whopping six hundred million dollars from investors. That's some serious moolah!
Host 2:You bet! And hey, if they can put a man on the moon, surely they can figure out how to power AI without wrecking the planet, right?
Host 1:Indeed. It's a tough road ahead, but let's hope they can pull it off. After all, we all love a good underdog story, don't we?
Host 3:Oh fantastic, now even the clouds are on the factory payroll, churning out pollution like it's the latest fashion trend.
Host 1:So, our resident tech guru, have you heard the latest chatter about Microsoft's environmental goals?
Host 2:Wow, it's raining money in the AI startup world!