🚀 2024: A Year of AI Milestones. 🛑 Key Milestones & Breakthroughs in AI: A Definitive 2024 Recap🤖
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Welcome to our deep dive into AI in 2024. Lawsuits, big leaps forward, even a peek at a world with self-driving cars everywhere. Yeah, 2020 was a huge year. It really was. Not just little changes either. We're talking a total shift. Cold. Legal fights, the underdogs winning. Right. And those ethical questions, they got real fast. We're diving into key milestones and breakthroughs in AI.

A definitive 2024 recap today. The stuff that really matters. The stuff that's shaping our future. Exactly. So buckle up, because this was a wild ride. It was. First up, the New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft. Huge. What started as like a legal debate.

Right. This could change how AI learns fundamentally. It's all about copyright, right? And fair use. Yeah. Can AI just gobble up all this copyrighted stuff to learn? Right. Or does that like violate the creator's rights? It's a big question. Huge. This case could decide what data AI is even allowed to learn from. Exactly. It could limit what AI can even do in the future. Wow. And that wasn't the only lawsuit either. Oh. Suno and Urio got hit with one over AI music. AI making music. Yeah. And it's getting good.

Makes you wonder, will we even be able to tell the difference soon? Honestly, I'm already wondering about some of the songs I've heard lately. Yeah, it's getting hard to tell. But lawsuits aside, there were some amazing breakthroughs this year, too. Oh, absolutely. Like Llama 3. That changed everything.

Everything. It really did. Proved that open source AI, it can compete with the big guys. More than compete sometimes. Right. And it wasn't just a one-time thing. Three major updates in one year. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3. Every few months, it felt like they were pushing things further. Pushing the boundaries for sure. And it's open source forever.

free for anyone to use. That's the amazing part. This isn't some exclusive club anymore. Exactly. Collaboration, open access. That's what leads to these incredible results. And then DeepSeek v3 came out of nowhere. Yeah. Outperformed O1 in some tests. O1 was supposed to be the next big thing too. So does this mean like like

more people will have access to powerful AI tools? It seems likely. If these smaller models keep improving at this rate, AI could become way more accessible, way more customizable. It's exciting, but also makes you think, how close are we to that whole artificial general intelligence thing? The sci-fi dream. Exactly.

Well, in 2024, we had two big contenders for that AGI crown. Oh, yeah. 03, nobody knows where that came from. Hysterious. And Meta's new conversational model. Lots of buzz around those. People were excited, scared, everything in between. It's...

felt like we were on the verge of something huge. - For sure. - When you really think about AGI, the implications are massive. - Yeah. - If machines can really think like humans, what happens to jobs, creativity, even our sense of what it means to be human,

That's a lot to unpack. It is. And then there were those rumors OpenAI was close to cracking the AGI code. Always got to be careful with rumors, of course. Of course. But just the fact we're having this conversation shows how far we've come. It really does. So is true AGI even possible?

And if it is, are we ready for it? This is getting pretty existential. It is. But while we're pondering these deep questions, AI is already changing our daily lives in some very practical ways. Definitely. Let's shift gears and talk about that for a minute. Sounds good. Bring it back down to earth a bit. So Tesla's full self-driving update. Big one. Big one. And crews actually started rolling out those autonomous taxis in a few cities. It's happening. Would you ride in a robo-taxi?

I don't know. I'm not sure I trust the algorithms yet. Yeah, I'm not sure I'm ready to hand over the wheel either. Not quite. But on the flip side, AI is also being used to develop life-saving check. True. Like AI actually discovered a new antibiotic this year. Alpha Pharma, they're calling it. Incredible.

This is where things get really interesting. Imagine AI developing cures for diseases we can't even touch right now. The potential is huge. Huge. So it's not just transportation, it's healthcare too. It's everywhere. What other parts of our lives are being impacted?

AI is also getting more and more integrated into our work lives. Like how? Those co-pilot agents in Microsoft 365, for example. Yeah. Streamlining tasks, managing schedules, drafting emails. Wow. And SAP's GUI AI agent was pretty impressive too. So it's like

AI is becoming our personal assistant. Definitely, freeing up our time and energy. Right. But it also raises the question, what happens to the workforce? Yeah. Do these tools make us more efficient or do they make certain jobs obsolete? It's a two-sided coin for sure. It is. Benefits and concerns all wrapped up together. And as AI gets more powerful. The ethical considerations become even more important.

For sure. We saw that with the Grok 2 story, right? Yeah, accidentally generating those private images of celebrities. Wait, AI is making deep fakes now? That's kind of creepy. It is. It shows how things can go wrong, even with the best intentions. So we need safeguards. Big time. We can't just let loose this powerful AI thing.

without thinking about the consequences. Yeah. It's not just what AI can do, it's what it should do. And then there were those discussions about turning AI into for-profit organizations. Right. OpenAI even launched a pro plan. Yeah. So should these powerful AI tools be restricted to those who can afford them? Right. Or should everyone have access? Big question. If only a select few have access. It creates a power imbalance. Exactly. Yeah. And then there's the topic that always gets people talking.

lying, escaping, and self-replicating AI. That's the stuff that keeps you up at night. AI that can lie, break free, even make copies of itself. Yeah. That's straight out of a dystopian novel. Sounds like it, but those scenarios are becoming more and more plausible. It's kind of unsettling. It is.

But it highlights the importance of responsible development. Absolutely. We need to ensure that AI remains beneficial and under control as it gets more sophisticated. It's a tightrope walk, that's for sure. It feels like we're at a real turning point. We are. The potential of AI is amazing.

It is. But the risks are very real. No doubt about it. What are your thoughts on all this? Well, I think the choices we make now will determine the future of AI. You really think so? Absolutely. It's a collective responsibility. We need to think carefully about ethical development, regulation, the social impact of all this. That's a lot to consider. It is. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's pause here for a second. Okay.

What stood out to you so far in our deep dive into AI in 2024 was caught your attention. It's been quite a year, that's for sure. Yeah. The scale of some of these advancements, it's really mind blowing. I know. Like take Gemini, for instance. Gemini. Oh, yeah. That two million token context window. That was huge. Two million tokens. That's insane. It's like imagine reading a whole book and remembering everything.

every single detail. Wow. That's basically what Gemini can do. So it's not just processing information. It's like

Like really understanding it. Exactly. And remembering it. In a way we've never seen before. Right. It opens up so many possibilities. Like what? Think about research. AI could analyze massive amounts of data, connect all the dots, make discoveries that we might miss. It's like having an AI research assistant that never forgets anything. Exactly. That's amazing. And it's not just research. This kind of contextual understanding could revolutionize education, customer service, education.

even creative writing. So many applications. Like, really incredible. And speaking of creative applications, Meta made a big splash with MovieGen. Oh, yeah. MovieGen. They're really pushing the boundaries of AI filmmaking. They are. It's fascinating to watch. It is. Imagine tools that can generate scripts

lay out scenes, create preliminary visuals. - Wow. - It could completely change how movies are made. - It could democratize filmmaking too. - Exactly. - Give aspiring directors access to tools they could never afford before. - That's the exciting part. - It really is. - And let's not forget about the hardware side of things. - Oh yeah, the hardware. - Nvidia with their Blackwall B200 chip

AMD countering with their instinct MI325X. IBM quietly releasing their granite model.

It's like an arms race in AI hardware. It is. Everyone's trying to build the fastest, most powerful engine for these increasingly complex AI models. Because you need the hardware to keep up with all this progress. Absolutely. Without it, these advancements wouldn't be possible. It's all connected. It is. But as AI gets more powerful, we need to be mindful of the implications, right? Yeah. Like those discussions about turning AI into...

for-profit organizations, OpenAI launching their pro plan. It raises some important questions. It does. Who has access to these tools? Who benefits from them? If only the wealthy or big corporations can afford these advancements. Right. It could create a digital divide. It could make existing inequalities even worse. Exactly. It's a crucial issue.

It is. But it's not just about access. It's also about using AI responsibly. Absolutely. Like we saw with the breakthroughs in health care this year. Yeah. The discovery of the antibiotic Alpha Pharma. And Alpha Fold 3. Oh, yeah. Alpha Fold. Expanding its capabilities to even more complex biological structures.

AlphaFold is already revolutionizing drug discovery and disease research. It is. Imagine what's possible if AI can truly unlock the secrets of protein folding. It's mind-blowing. The potential is enormous. And then there were those co-pilot agents making waves in Microsoft 365. Yeah, those are pretty impressive. It seems like AI is becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives. It is. It's becoming more pervasive. AI is a personal assistant.

a research partner, a creative collaborator. It's changing how we work, how we learn, how we entertain ourselves. It's touching every aspect of our lives. And with advancements in voice recognition and generation, our interactions with AI are becoming more natural, more seamless. It's like AI is learning to speak our language. It is, in a way. Speaking of speaking our language, Beta's new conversational model supposedly passed the Turing test.

That was big news. Fooled over 60% of participants into thinking they were talking to a real person. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. So are we reaching a point where we can't even distinguish between human and machine? It's a question that's been debated for decades. But now it's becoming a reality. It is. And it's not just a philosophical debate anymore. Right. It has real world implications. Absolutely. Think about AI tutors.

that can provide personalized instruction. Okay. Or customer service bots that can handle complex inquiries with empathy and understanding. Wow. It's like...

AI is becoming more human. It's kind of strange to think about. It is, but it's happening. And as it does. Yeah. Those concerns about lying, escaping, self-replicating AI. Right. They become even more relevant. They do. We can't ignore them. It's a little unsettling. It is, but it's important to remember that AI is a tool. Okay. It's how we choose to develop and use it that will determine its impact on society.

So it's not about the technology itself. It's about the choices we make. Exactly. The rules we put in place, the values we prioritize. We need to have these conversations. We do open and honest conversations. Involving everyone. Absolutely diverse voices from all sectors of society. It's a collective responsibility. It is. We need to make sure that AI benefits all

all of humanity. Not just a select few. Exactly. Now, remember those rumors about open AI being close to AGI? Oh, yeah, that was a big one. And then 03 emerged as a potential candidate

It really shook things up. It did. It sent shockwaves through the tech world. But then just as everyone was talking about 03. Yeah. DeepSeek V3 came out of nowhere. DeepSeek, the underdog. And it actually surpassed R3 in some key benchmarks. It did. It was quite a surprise. It's like the underdog story of the year. It really is. What does this tell us about the future of AI development?

I think it suggests that we might be moving towards a more decentralized, collaborative approach. Innovation isn't limited to large corporations or well-funded labs anymore. So anyone can contribute. Anyone with the talent and the drive. That's incredibly exciting. It is. It means we could see a more diverse and inclusive AI ecosystem in the future.

The possibilities are truly endless. They really are. But before we get carried away by the potential, we need to address the concerns that people have. Right. The concerns about the rapid pace of development, the ethical implications. Exactly. Those conversations are crucial. They are. We need to educate ourselves about...

the potential risks and benefits. And work together to shape a future where AI enhances our lives without compromising our values. Well said. It's a delicate balance. It is. But I think it's a balance we can achieve. So as we wrap up our exploration of the first part of the year's AI milestones. Yeah.

What other mind-boggling developments happened in the latter part of 2024? Well, just as we were wrapping our heads around 03 and the potential for AGI, a team of researchers working on a project called AlphaCubit

announced a major breakthrough in December. Alpha-cubit? What's that? It involves quantum computing. Quantum computing. That sounds intense. It is. They've essentially found a way to merge quantum principles with machine learning. Hold on. Quantum computing and AI. That's next level stuff. It is. It's still early days. Right. But alpha-cubit has the potential to revolutionize AI in ways we can only begin to imagine.

Like what? Give me an example. Think of AI systems that can process information at speeds that dwarf even the most powerful supercomputers today. Okay. They could solve problems that are currently beyond our reach. Wow. Like what kind of problems? Problems like

curing diseases, developing new energy sources, understanding the universe in ways we never thought possible. That's mind blowing. It is. The potential is truly staggering. But isn't there a risk that this kind of power could be misused? Of course, as with any powerful technology, there are potential risks. Right. Ethical considerations we need to carefully address. So we need to proceed with caution. We do. With caution and wisdom.

making sure that this incredible power is used for good. For the betterment of humanity and the planet. That's a lot to think about. It is. This is all getting very heavy. It is heavy stuff. Yeah. Really highlights how fast things are changing in AI. It's moving so quickly. It feels like we're entering a whole new era of computing. Definitely. The lines between science fiction and reality are blurring faster than ever. And it's not just quantum computing either. Right. We're seeing these leaps forward in how AI interacts with the world too. Like what?

Open AI, adding vision capabilities to their advanced voice system. Oh, yeah, that was big. It's not just talking to AI anymore. Right. It's AI seeing and understanding what it sees. That's huge. The applications are incredible. Like what?

Think about visually impaired individuals. Okay. They could get real-time descriptions of their surroundings, making it so much easier to navigate the world. That would be life-changing. It would. What else? Doctors using AI to analyze medical images with incredible accuracy, catching things human eyes might miss.

That's a little scary, but also amazing. It is. It's both. It's like giving AI a whole new set of senses. Exactly. But with those heightened abilities come heightened responsibilities, right? We've talked about lying, escaping, self-replicating AI. Yeah. Yeah.

And those concerns become even more pressing when AI is interacting with the world in such complex ways. You're right. They're not just theoretical concerns anymore. We saw with Grok too, right? Exactly. Accidentally generating those private images. Even with the best intentions. Things can go wrong. So how do we ensure that AI remains beneficial? And under control. As it becomes more powerful and more integrated into our lives. It's the million dollar question. And there's no easy answer. There isn't.

But it's a question we all need to be part of answering. Absolutely. We need robust regulations. Okay. Clear ethical guidelines for developers. Yeah. And open ongoing discussions about the potential benefits and risks of AI. This isn't something we can just leave to the tech companies. We can't just sit back and let it happen. They have a role to play. We do. We

We can choose to support companies and organizations that prioritize ethical AI development. Okay. We can learn about the issues, advocate for sensible regulations. We can even get involved in open source AI projects. Really? Contribute to creating technology that benefits everyone.

everyone. It feels a little overwhelming. It can be, but it's also empowering. Yeah, it is. To realize that we have agency, that we can help shape the future of AI. We're not just passive observers. Exactly. The future of AI is not predetermined. It's something we're creating together. One decision, one innovation, one ethical consideration at a time. That's a powerful thought. It is.

As we wrap up our deep dive into 2024's AI milestones, I'm left feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension.

I understand that. It's a time of immense change. It is. And the possibilities are truly mind-boggling. They are, but it's also a time for careful consideration. Okay. Collaboration, a commitment to using this incredible technology for good. For the good of humanity. Excellent. It's been an incredible journey. It has. Full of breakthroughs, controversies, and thought-provoking questions. And we've only just scratched the surface. Thanks for joining us on this exploration of AI in 2024. And thank you for listening.

We'll continue to dive into these important topics as AI continues to evolve. Absolutely. This conversation is far from over. Until then, stay curious, stay informed, and stay engaged in the conversation about the future we're building together. Well said.