Understanding AI "Understanding" with Robert Wright of Nonzero Newsletter & Podcast

"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis

In this special crossover episode of The Cognitive Revolution, Nathan Labenz joins Robert Wright of the Nonzero newsletter and podcast to explore pressing questions about AI development. They discuss the nature of understanding in large language models, multimodal AI systems, reasoning capabilities, and the potential for AI to accelerate scientific discovery. The conversation also covers AI interpretability, ethics, open-sourcing models, and the implications of US-China relations on AI development.

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CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) About the Show

(00:00:22) About the Episode

(00:03:39) Introduction and Background

(00:06:58) AI Capabilities and Understanding

(00:12:22) Discussing Martin Casado's Views (Part 1)

(00:14:44) Sponsors: Oracle | Brave

(00:16:48) Discussing Martin Casado's Views (Part 2)

(00:21:51) Multimodal AI and Concept Representation (Part 1)

(00:31:40) Sponsors: Omneky | Squad

(00:33:26) Multimodal AI and Concept Representation (Part 2)

(00:38:05) AI's Potential and Limitations

(00:45:35) AI Safety and Risk Assessment

(00:53:31) AI Development and Global Implications

(01:03:30) Open Source AI and International Relations

(01:11:27) AI Ethics and Human Values

(01:22:06) AI Risk and Existential Threats

(01:31:21) Open Source AI Concerns

(01:38:20) China-US AI Relations

(01:48:36) State Space Models in AI

(02:02:32) Conclusion and Recommendations

(02:03:54) Outro

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Website : https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai

Twitter (Podcast) : https://x.com/cogrev_podcast

Twitter (Nathan) : https://x.com/labenz