Jeremy King

It’s eye-opening to see how AI model businesses are dealing with tight margins despite big investments. 🤯 Aidan Gomez’s comments about the “zero margin business” highlight the fierce competition and price cuts in the industry. 💸 With giants like OpenAI and Anthropic lowering prices to stay ahead, it’s a tough time for startups. The future of AI might depend on finding new ways to make these technologies profitable. 🚀 #AI #MachineLearning #TechTrends #Startups https://lnkd.in/ejkDu_wT

8

Thank you so much, Jeremy Kahn for the great conversation this week at Fortune #BrainstormAI on the future of Google Search and how we’re expanding what’s possible with AI. One of the most exciting parts of working on Google Search is the immense opportunity we have with AI to be even more helpful – the truth is, there aren’t just billions of questions that people ask Google every day, there are billions of questions that people don’t ask at all – because it’s too hard to formulate the question, or they aren’t sure whether they’ll get a useful answer. In this next era of Search, we really want to  make it truly effortless to ask any question, make sense of any type of information, across all modalities – whether that’s video, image, or text. That includes asking your question in any way that’s most natural to you - think about Google Lens, where you can search what you see, and get an AI Overview with context and links to better understand it. There’s an even greater opportunity as our AI models continue to improve. Just this week, the Google DeepMind team showed off a range of new capabilities with Gemini 2.0 (https://bit.ly/3ZU3JVe), which we’re already testing in AI Overviews so people can tackle even harder questions. And the Android team shared a glimpse into how we’ll help people better understand and interact with the world around with the new XR operating system (https://bit.ly/3ZRx9TR). What’s most exciting to me is how AI is unlocking entirely new ways to make information useful, so regardless of what language you speak, or your skill level in a particular domain, we can help you understand information effortlessly. I can’t wait for the year ahead for Search – there’s so much more to come! You can check out our full conversation at Fortune Brainstorm AI here: https://bit.ly/3DmPdMA 

361

3 Comments

I like this idea of "technical taste". It gets into where software engineering is as much creative art as it is science. Four great takeaways (IMHO) for software devs in this era in particular: 1. Aspiring engineers should cultivate a sense of curiosity, experiment with different tools and technologies, and embrace a mindset of continuous learning. 2. AI has the potential to streamline processes and enhance productivity for engineers, but it may also lead to disruptions in traditional software development workflows. 3. Developing technical taste and judgment is essential for making informed decisions about which technologies and approaches to pursue. 4. Collaboration and open-mindedness are key to leveraging the full potential of AI and staying ahead of technological advancements. I also really liked these two quotes from Sam Schillace: 1. "The right time to do something is when you have that feeling in the pit of your stomach that's like, 'oh, this is a great idea and it's going to suck to build because nothing's ready yet.'" 2. "Technical taste is like, 'how well have you consolidated that set of experiences and heuristics into judgment that you can apply accurately when you see new things?'" 3. "It may be the case that very small teams can do very large projects, or like we were talking about before, it may be the case we're just going to get really ambitious about what we try to do with the same size of teams, which is kind of where I would put my money." Great job on continuing to put out great episodes, Brett Berson and team First Round Capital! #ai #engineering #softwaredevelopment

5

Looking forward to sharing how we at basys.ai are leveraging Generative AI to tackle healthcare’s biggest challenges. PS: Also looking forward to sporting my basys vest in the #BayArea PPS: What I’m not looking forward to is the second cross-country flight in less than a week. #GenAI #BasysAI #GenerativeAI

21

🌉 San Francisco's Surprising Comeback: From 'Doom Loop' to Renaissance? Recent data suggests that San Francisco, once trapped in a pandemic-induced 'doom loop', is showing strong signs of recovery. Here's what's changing: 📈 Positive Trends: - Population Growth: Net gains over the past two years, with domestic in-migration positive for the first time since 2012. - Housing Market: Median home sale prices up 1.2% YoY to $1,427,500 in June. - Job Growth: The Bay Area added 7,400 jobs between January and June. Downtown Revival: Foot traffic beyond typical work hours has recovered to over 90% of pre-pandemic levels. - Crime Reduction: Property crime down 32% and violent crime down 14% in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023. - AI Boom: The city is positioning itself as a hub for the AI revolution. 🚧 Ongoing Challenges: - High office vacancy rates - Homelessness and drug crisis - Lagging tourism and business travel 🔑 Key Initiatives: - "Vacant to Vibrant" program offering free rent to businesses in empty storefronts - Increased police patrols and encampment sweeping - Crackdown on open-air drug dealing 💡 Expert Insight: "The rising AI empire is giving the city a new edge. Funding, talents, and culture related to the AI revolution will help the city turn the corner." - Lu Chen, Senior Economist at Moody's Analytics 🤔 What's Your Take? Are these positive trends sustainable, or is it too early to declare a comeback? How can other cities learn from San Francisco's recovery strategies? What role will AI play in reshaping urban economies, particularly in tech hubs? https://lnkd.in/gCnPCBRU

14

1 Comment

The newest issue of The Pragmatic Engineer found a surprise uptick in eng hiring in the typically slow summer season - I'm curious to see how the macro environment impacts this uptick as we head into the fall, but I remain hopeful. I asked Gemini to give me the tldr of the article to share with my team (sorry, Gergely Orosz) and found it missed one of the most interesting pieces of the article. Gemini's highlights - Unexpected surge: Tech recruitment has seen an unusual spike in June and July, contrary to typical trends. Increased demand: Startups, especially AI-focused ones, are driving the hiring uptick. Global phenomenon: This trend isn't just limited to the US; Europe is also experiencing increased recruitment activity. Reasons for hiring: Companies are backfilling positions, investing in growth due to improved financials, and responding to increased VC funding. Challenges remain: While the job market is improving, finding qualified candidates and offering competitive compensation remains difficult for many companies. What I found most interesting - The nature of the backfills: the article finds that a lot of new headcount are actually backfills of folks that were "over-slashed" during rounds of layoffs. Not entirely surprising with the "trim the fat" and "rebuild lean" mentality, but interesting nonetheless. Either way, the uptick is encouraging (and don't always rely on Gemini's tldrs). #hiring #startups #VCbacked #softwareengineering

11

1 Comment

This month finds me, once again, teaching at Northeastern--a course on Human Behaviors for Interactive System Design. The unit on mental models got me thinking about the psychology of building trust through good design.  At Yes Yes Know, we specialize in data-dense software, and spend a lot of time working with financial industry products where trust is really important!  Check out more of my musing about mental models, trust, and fintech here: https://lnkd.in/erY7wvm4   #trust #design #fintech #mentalmodels

20

This resonated with me today: "“One flaw of designers (as people) is pretending faster is always better and quick always equals efficient. A fast pace can feel good and productive short-term, but there are many long-term consequences: losing productivity, overlooking important things, and undermining diversity. It is not efficient to move so fast that we exhaust ourselves, overlook the obvious, or break everything along the way, yet we often make that assumption.” It's from Assembling Tomorrow and I highly recommend the book. https://lnkd.in/gK43NueY

3

1 Comment

Can probabilistic models, like LLMs and Nate Silver's election forecast model, ever truly be perfect, with no errors? According to Nate Silver: "We don’t talk about it much, but there’s a small amount of error introduced into the model because it’s probabilistic rather than deterministic. The margin of error on 40,000 simulations is about ± 0.5 points of win probability for either candidate; after 80,000, it declines, but only to ± 0.35." Sounds like a familiar refrain around Infactory as we discuss the limitations of LLMs... P.S. Vote!

11

1 Comment

Grammarly just acquired startup Coda (last valued at 1.2bn) with a goal of a possible IPO. This could be a big move in productivity, especially for product teams. Coda CEO Shishir Mehrotra was recently on Lenny's podcast (first comment below). https://lnkd.in/gmgfcm2P

1

1 Comment

Setting a vision is just the start. Think about the bold moves needed to make it happen. Sundar, Google's CEO, set a daring vision to tackle climate change. That's where the real work begins. Executing a vision requires bold and tough decisions. Google is buying nuclear energy to feed its AI data centers. Other big tech companies are following this lead. This is a big kudos to Sundar and his leadership team. They are executing on a sustainability vision. Leadership is about taking action. And Sundar is showing the way.

27

12 Comments

👋 This week, it’s time for GlycanAge, the fourth out of seven companies in Cohort I of the Female Foundry Visionaries AI Incubator in partnership with Google Cloud. 💡 Have you ever heard about glycans? Too bad. Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to poor health. 60% of deaths worldwide are due to chronic inflammation(!). 💡 Glycans are a game-changing biomarker for chronic inflammation, capable of predicting chronic diseases up to 10 years in advance. Meet Nikolina Lauc and Marko Tarnaj, the founding team of GlycanAge, which has pioneered the field of glycobiology and developed the GlycanAge Test. To date, GlycanAge has published over 300 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, been used in more than 1,500 clinics, sold over 20,000 tests, and operates in 60 countries. The company processes 85% of the samples for high-throughput glycomic studies worldwide and has received over €40 million in grant funding for scientific research. Current team’s focus? The team is slowly preparing for an equity round in the next 3-4 months and is looking for intros to big retail brands (think: Randox, Vitality, Thriva). Want to get in touch? Follow the team ➯ here: GlycanAge Check other female-founded companies in Cohort I. Searce Inc Cooley LLP Google Cloud #femalefoundry #visionaries #ai #healthtech

28

1 Comment

Some great Roblox insights on this recent Deconstructor of Fun podcast: https://lnkd.in/gjMvFPUQ A few key points surfaced when talking to Voldex CPO Andrew Rose: 1) Genre innovation hits different on Roblox: we're inherently social, and genre mashups that lean into social interactions tend to retain players better. 2) The power of Roblox's community driven development to help any creator get started. 3) Roblox is multi-platform by design, and games that can easily be experienced across mobile, pc, console (and even VR) thrive. Great podcast if you're curious what's driving success on Roblox. #roblox #gamedevelopment

24

Anthropic's latest Claude AI model is taking human-AI interaction to a whole new level! 🖥️🤖 The new Claude 3.5 Sonnet can now use computers just like a human would - by looking at the screen, moving the cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text. This is a major leap forward in AI capabilities. Key features: Operates based on screenshots, emulating human computer use Can perform complex multi-step tasks across different applications Self-corrects and retries when encountering obstacles2 Accessible via API for developers to build with Why it's game-changing: This opens up incredible possibilities for AI assistance in data entry, form filling, software testing, and automating repetitive computer tasks13. Imagine having an AI assistant that can seamlessly work alongside you, handling tedious computer work while you focus on higher-level tasks. While still in beta, this technology demonstrates how AI is rapidly advancing toward more human-like interaction with digital interfaces. As it develops further, it could revolutionize how we work with computers and boost productivity across industries. The future of human-AI collaboration just got a lot more exciting! What do you think about this new capability? #AIInnovation #FutureOfWork Here is a video about it: https://lnkd.in/gh8aNYEu

6

My CEO, Sam Liang met with the Financial Times to chat about Otter.ai's future, the way we work, and how AI powered avatars and agents are in the near future. Check out: https://lnkd.in/e34_SnXZ to learn about how Otter continues to unlock the power of our conversations.

35

1 Comment

Much of my time is spent figuring out how to productize automation or AI for Speedscale and watching our customers do the same. Here are some anti-patterns I expect to blossom in early 2025: 1) using an LLM when a rules engine will suffice, 2) not modeling the cost of *inference* in production 3) investing too much in platforms that are likely to become obsolete as LLM standards emerge. Platform teams are going to have quite a time trying to operationalize all this cool new stuff...

18

Was chatting with another investor today on a call, and mentioned Tim Urban's Wait But Why Blog post, "The AI Revolution" and how prescient it was. Given that it was written in 2015, decided to flex AI's latest muscles to give it a new venue: a podcast. Podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gW8Dh89U Pretty easy to do: Step 1: Save the posts as PDFs. Step 2: Upload to NotebookLM, have it create a podcast. Step 3: Upload to Descript, give it captions. Step 4: Export, publish to Youtube. Total time to create the podcast: ~25 minutes. To generate this podcast and publish it even a few years ago would have taken >8 hours. Love the future (Original posts: https://lnkd.in/gW-PQXE7, https://lnkd.in/gg-nRvxz) #AIRevolution #GenerativeAI #WaitButWhy #TimUrban #NotebookLM #AIContentCreation #Podcasting #Descript #ArtificialIntelligence #ContentFlex #ProductivityHacks #FutureOfAI #AIinMinutes #TechEfficiency #AIandCreativity #YouTubePodcast #InnovationInContent #vibecap #vibecapital

5

📣 Calling all the #emergingtech #founders and #builders out there. Do you ever worry that when the #regulators knock, they'll completely misunderstand what you're building? Do you feel like the headlines about your industry is more gossip than tech, but you're the one paying the price? Let's #disrupt this! 🚀 I've been working tirelessly to create a summit that will train you so you can lead the narrative, and stop playing defense. Join us at University of California, Berkeley on May 13th for TECHVocacy 2024: Emerging Tech Advocacy Summit! What makes this summit so different? No long winded panels to talk about the problem or to talk about the tech (#ai #crypto #web3 #av #socialmedia). We have 🔵 Experts to deliver lightning talks that will SHOW (not tell) how to talk about your emerging and disruptive tech with policymakers/regulators 🔵 Real-time media training demos Co-hosted by Berkeley Center for Law and Business Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence with support from Berkeley Space Center. Admission is free, but registration is limited! Sign up soon!

32

4 Comments