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Ep.130 — Make Original Mistakes w/ Jeremiah Lowin
22 segments available
Jeremiah Lowin is the founder & CEO of Prefect, a dataflow automation company. Jeremiah joins Jim for his second appearance on Infinite Loops to discuss executing, storytelling, artificial intelligence and, of course, puns. Important Links: - Prefect.io - https://www.prefect.io - Disney Research Hub - https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyResearchHub - The story of the fake statue of Venus https://infiniteloops.substack.com/p/zanies-the-worlds-greatest-eccentrics Show Notes: [00:00:00] - Start [00:02:35] - Main Podcast [00:07:14] - Slack, puns and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy [00:15:29] - Planning, executing and the story of Prefect in 2022 [00:35:53] - Why naming things is a superpower [00:41:17] - If you can’t pivot, you’re dead [01:03:14] - Make original mistakes [01:09:31] - AI, storytelling, deep fakes and open source Books Mentioned: - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams - What works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy - The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch
Segments Timeline
Master Class for Founders
In this segment, Jim O'Shaughnessy emphasizes the necessity for startups to adapt their strategies in response to changing market conditions. He argues that if a business operates in 2022 the same way it did in 2021, it is bound to fail. This highlights the importance of innovation and learning from original mistakes as a startup founder.
"Founders you're getting a master class here because the circumstances have changed if a business isn't operating in October of 2022 the same way the same strategy as it was in October of 2021 I don't ..."
The Power of Puns
Jim and Jeremiah Lowin discuss their playful banter on Twitter, focusing on the joy and connection that puns bring to their relationship. Jeremiah shares his thoughts on how these light-hearted exchanges serve as a creative outlet amidst the pressures of business, illustrating the importance of humor in professional life.
"well hello everyone welcome to see with another episode of infinite loops and my guest many people don't really know because they see our relationship only on Twitter where Jeremiah appears to be my N..."
The Story of Prefect
Jeremiah shares insights into the planning and execution of Prefect in 2022. He discusses the challenges faced and the strategies implemented to navigate the evolving landscape of dataflow automation, emphasizing the need for adaptability and innovation in startup culture.
"yeah well it is a serious observation actually about the whole pun thing and everything I'm a huge what that buys you is like you are such an intense thinker on what you do and that's going to be my n..."
Naming as a Superpower
In this segment, Jeremiah explains why naming things is a crucial skill for founders. He discusses how a well-chosen name can resonate with audiences and create a strong brand identity, using examples from his own experiences with Prefect and the cultural references that influence perception.
"question because obviously like interesting years so far in financial markets wow in in in in startup companies and in durability or inability to get funded and like one of the things I put up a quote..."
The Importance of Pivoting
Jeremiah emphasizes the critical nature of pivoting in business. He argues that without the ability to adapt and change direction, startups risk stagnation and failure. This segment highlights the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship and the necessity of being responsive to market demands.
"we're going to talk about that in a bit too but so neuro-linguistic programming is it really looks at understanding that like how people communicate with one another is like everything and if you like..."
Making Original Mistakes
Jeremiah discusses the concept of making original mistakes as a startup founder. He reflects on the value of learning from unique experiences rather than repeating past errors, advocating for a mindset that embraces experimentation and growth in the face of challenges.
"if this lever of this cost of capital and our response to it by saying that what capital binds us is time and what prefect uses with time is we use it to experiment and so if the cost of capital has g..."
AI and Storytelling
In this segment, Jim and Jeremiah delve into the intersection of artificial intelligence and storytelling. They explore how AI can enhance narrative creation and the implications of deep fakes in media, discussing the ethical considerations and future possibilities in this rapidly evolving field.
"in Miami so I spent a lot of time worrying about them thinking of it I don't know that it's right I don't necessarily know how to translate it into something that someone else could pick up and follow..."
The Tsunami of Creativity
Jeremiah Lowin discusses the release of the Stable Diffusion model by Stability AI and its profound impact on creativity. He emphasizes the importance of open sourcing AI weights, which allows creative individuals to explore innovative use cases that even the founder could not have anticipated. This segment highlights the unpredictability of human creativity and the dangers of assuming one knows the best applications of technology.
"company called stability AI which is an a true or open AI artificial intelligence company that draw that imagine Placid Lake Michigan and then imagine a thermonuclear bomb being lobbed into the center..."
The Power of Open AI
Lowin reflects on the significance of open AI and its potential to democratize technology. He shares his belief that AI will fundamentally change education and medical research, emphasizing the need for accessibility in AI tools. This segment captures the essence of how open-source strategies can lead to groundbreaking advancements in various fields.
"that came through use cases that he himself told me I wouldn't have thought about and that's part of my thing that to be so presumptuous to think that you know what the best use cases are going to be ..."
Navigating AI's Ethical Landscape
In this segment, Lowin discusses the ethical implications of AI technology and the responsibility that comes with its power. He expresses his commitment to ensuring that AI is used for good, highlighting the need for a council of experts to guide ethical practices in AI development. This conversation underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
"I like saw this I'd already been doing due diligence on him for months I mean I saw this and then met him he was the real deal so I made an investment and he asked me to be sure executive chair of the..."
The Race for Deep Fake Detection
Lowin announces a competition to develop deep fake detection software, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by deep fakes in media. He outlines the initiative's goal to create a reliable tool that can identify manipulated content, showcasing the proactive steps being taken to combat misinformation in the digital age.
"I'm on here right so I am on the I have grandchildren right I soon to be more than three and which Delights me and if I can something that I can do that makes certain that they don't grow up in a worl..."
The Art of AI Forensics
The discussion shifts to the emerging field of AI forensics, where Lowin and his co-host explore the need for tracing the origins and authenticity of AI-generated content. They delve into the iterative nature of AI progress and the importance of understanding the lineage of AI models, highlighting the complexities of ensuring the integrity of AI outputs.
"Innovations in vaccines all the way true but tell me why I'm wrong tell you why it's hard to tell you when you're wrong when I agree with you so instead how about this first of all because I'm pretty ..."
Generative Models vs. Discriminators
Lowin explains the mechanics of generative adversarial networks (GANs) and how they differ from diffusion models in AI. He discusses the challenges faced by GANs in producing high-quality outputs and the advantages of diffusion models in exploring a broader state space. This segment provides insight into the technical evolution of AI image generation.
"of Interest I mean you shared with me some adoption numbers which I don't know if I can share or not but they're extraordinary they're it's like nothing I've ever heard of I'll use one that we can use..."
The Magic of AI Interaction
In this segment, Lowin reflects on the transformative power of AI technologies that allow users to interact with machines in unprecedented ways. He shares his perspective on the evolution of AI, from tools like Google Maps to the current capabilities of AI in generating cohesive images from text prompts, emphasizing the magic of storytelling through technology.
"talk about them but I since I'm since I don't want to presume that everyone knows how the image generating assistance work in general it's going to be a little bit tricky but there's for example there..."
The Responsibility of AI Creators
Lowin and his co-host discuss the ethical responsibilities of AI creators in light of the technology's potential misuse. They emphasize the need for accountability and the importance of creating safeguards to prevent harmful applications of AI. This segment highlights the dual nature of AI as both a powerful tool and a potential source of harm.
"yeah I think so so uh you were on the other curve yeah I was the revamp I remember him asking so we're talking about AI we're talking about the rule of AI I'm fine it doesn't matter and he asked him w..."
Open Source and AI Innovation
The conversation concludes with a focus on the role of open source in driving AI innovation. Lowin advocates for an open approach to AI development, suggesting that collaboration and transparency will lead to more significant advancements. This segment encapsulates the vision for a future where AI is accessible and beneficial to all.
"entire podcast we are storytellers we are people we use words we use language to tell stories and our whole history is sitting around a fire and trying to communicate our ideas and our dreams to each ..."
The Race of Generative Models
Jeremiah Lowin discusses the mechanics of generative adversarial networks (GANs) and how they function through a competitive relationship between the generator and the discriminator. He explains how this race leads to high-quality outputs but also highlights the limitations that led to the rise of diffusion models, emphasizing the importance of expressiveness in generating diverse outputs.
"no I've learned all about yeah and it's fascinating because the premise of those models was to take the mechanism you just described and sort of capitalizing on it and so the model consists of two com..."
Learning from Historical Mistakes
Lowin shares insights on the importance of understanding the history of AI model development to avoid repeating past mistakes. He emphasizes that while openness in AI development can provide more opportunities for innovation, it does not guarantee success without a deep understanding of the underlying principles and challenges.
"couldn't the the thing then is magical is that I could type pretty much anything into a stable diffusion model and get it out whereas with these guns they were very tied into sort of the center of the..."
The Role of AI in Medical Research
The conversation shifts to the potential of AI in medical research, where Lowin discusses the idea of using AI to audit scientific studies for data integrity. He highlights the ethical implications and the need for innovative approaches to generate representative medical data without compromising ethical standards.
"totally agree and like if we were gonna we could do just like an entire episode on just Ai and maybe we'll someday that would be cool yeah but I took some of the feedback that you gave me to our off s..."
AI as a Tool for Enhancement
Lowin and his co-host explore the concept of AI as a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them. They discuss the ethical considerations of AI in medicine and the potential for AI to assist in generating educational materials for medical students, emphasizing the importance of using AI responsibly.
"like you it's like that's for right now it we are going out and making sales calls a year from now and God forbid we're in a depression we're going to have a different plan for getting people interest..."
Creating Ethical AI Examples
The discussion continues with the idea of generating synthetic medical data to aid in education and research. Lowin stresses the importance of ethical boundaries in medical research and how AI can provide valuable examples without the need for unethical practices, showcasing the positive potential of AI in advancing medical knowledge.
"point one thinks of Ansel keys at the University of Minnesota who basically faked all of the data saying that that was a heart disease and was going to kill you if you ate fat and it was fake the data..."
Embracing Original Mistakes
In the closing segment, Lowin emphasizes the importance of making original mistakes in the pursuit of innovation. He encourages embracing AI as a collaborative tool that enhances human creativity and effectiveness, reinforcing the idea that learning from failures is crucial for progress in any field.
"but representative lung scans yeah brain scans or any skin that can that Octor or a medical student could use to learn and test themselves on for example like that to find things and then of course we..."