AI:
AgentGen uses LLMs to synthesize diverse environments and planning tasks in a scalable way. https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.00764
Using LLM embeddings to capture word-by-word linguistic content transmitted from the speaker's brain to the listener's brain in real-time, face-to-face conversations https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(24)00460-4
An introduction to reinforcement learning for neuroscience https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.07315
From Text to Life: On the Reciprocal Relationship between Artificial Life and Large Language Models https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09502
Toward De Novo Protein Design from Natural Language https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.01.606258v1
The newly released Palmyra-Fin-70B outperforms Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and Mixtral-8x7b on the long-fin-eval benchmark, across a variety of real-world financial use cases. https://x.com/rohanpaul_ai/status/1819443015481446643
“TPU transformation: A look back at 10 years of our AI-specialized chips” https://cloud.google.com/transform/ai-specialized-chips-tpu-history-gen-ai
Tyler Cowen on ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode: "It’s happening, and this is to date one of the most vivid and impressive illustrations of what is possible. A mere three years ago this would have seemed like witchcraft." https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2024/08/chatgpt-advanced-voice-mode.html
ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode Impresses Testers With Sound Effects, Catching Its Breath https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/07/when-counting-quickly-openais-new-voice-mode-stops-to-catch-its-breath/
“I'm not going to make any arguments about what the future holds. I just want to provide a list of 50 conversations that I (a programmer and research scientist studying machine learning) have had with different large language models to meaningfully improve my ability to perform research and help me work on random coding side projects.” https://nicholas.carlini.com/writing/2024/how-i-use-ai.html
Character.AI CEO Noam Shazeer returns to Google. Google is also signing a non-exclusive agreement with Character.AI to use its tech. https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/02/character-ai-ceo-noam-shazeer-returns-to-google/
UK government shelves £1.3bn tech and AI plans https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyx5x44vnyeo
Miscellaneous:
“From an evolutionary perspective, what distinguishes the human brain? You may say, the neocortex. Surprisingly, in humans and other great apes, the expansion of the cerebellum accelerated faster than the enlargement of the cerebral cortex.” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(14)01069-0
“No matter what you post on social media. You can be found. Whether it's a zoomed in photo of your table or just a photo of your lunch. Even the smallest details in a photo give the biggest hints.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Ue94gpWqEkM
Politics:
Iran has told Arab diplomats that they don't care if the response triggers a war with Israel, according to people familiar with the conversations https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-rebuffs-calls-for-restraint-in-its-response-to-killing-of-hamas-leader-309314e7 [no paywall: https://archive.is/tmWJ3]
“Why is society so vulnerable to far-left ideas? One key reason: it’s hard to counter weaponized empathy. When actions are taken under the banner of a long-suffering group, that makes it much more difficult to challenge the worldview behind them. And far-left activists do skew female, suggesting that empathy plays a significant role.” https://x.com/RichardMCNgo/status/1819400985569329350
Trump’s presidential bid has the support of only half of his Cabinet https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/trump-cabinet-endorsements/ [no paywall: https://archive.is/MElZ3]
“Harris for President is launching Republicans for Harris — and rolling out endorsements from prominent GOP voices across the country” https://x.com/kylegriffin1/status/1820094863766856081
Ukraine:
“Additional footage of an absolutely massive secondary detonation at Russia’s Morozovsk Airbase after a successful Ukrainian drone attack overnight.” https://x.com/Osinttechnical/status/1819593716425765068
“With Morozovsk airbase having been the target of a massive Ukrainian attack last night, one should remember that the base is also an active Russian nuclear warhead storage site” https://x.com/OAlexanderDK/status/1819744083847295094
Russian channel Dosye Shpiona Claims: The attack [against Morozovsk airfield] resulted in the destruction of a Su-34 fighter Jet; The destruction of an aviation weapons Depot; Damage to the flight control Center; Minor damage to the airfield's engineering equipment https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1820013702919213349
[Warning: Suicide] Video of suicides in the Russian Army from July 2024 https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1819095203011047828
“The killing fields are literally strewn with corpses, which, of course, no one takes from the gray zone.” https://t.me/ButusovPlus/12338
A Russian soldier shows the losses of the Russian army northwest of Krasne in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1819414849052344827
Ukrainian forces destroyed a rare and costly Russian TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" heavy flamethrower system https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1819696393075736667
A Russian soldier filmed the detonation of ammunition caused by a missile strike on a Russian military unit a few days ago. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1819702787141193805
Aftermath of the strike on Russian hangar with armored vehicles, motorcycles and other equipment. https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1820007262083064212
Detonation of a Russian self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1819712169476272146
FPV drone attack on the Russian UAV, from the perspective of Russian reconnaissance drone https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1819663212331057304
Five Russian elite special forces soldiers killed in battle https://x.com/KilledInUkraine/status/1819673044626837711
“The elite 🇷🇺Russian Airborne (VDV) troops were completely annihilated by the 🇺🇦Ukrainian 54th Mech. Brigade in the Donetsk region.” https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1819773018094117183
Ukraine Ministry of Defense claims to have sunk another Russian submarine https://x.com/DefenceU/status/1819738353559814464
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy officially introduces the Ukrainian F-16 to the public. The best part of it is that they are loaded with AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. https://x.com/Tendar/status/1820098281369682127
“A very large Ukrainian Baba Yaga #drone was captured by the russians. Other than its size there are a number of very interesting details...The drone lost one of its arms and heavily hit the ground bending its frame. It is very nicely made and was probably expensive. There are 4 antennas for radio control making this drone difficult to defeat with electronic Warfare...This drone’s munitions are extremely interesting. These are optically (laser) guided.” https://x.com/DanielR33187703/status/1819384981069988291 (article: https://www.twz.com/air/ukraines-baba-yaga-drones-now-appear-capable-of-launching-guided-munitions)
“As of the end of July, 🇷🇺 occupies 17.72% (+0.03%) of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk occupied before 2022. This represents a net gain for the month by 🇷🇺 of approximately 177km².” https://x.com/War_Mapper/status/1819130516223742408
Subscribe to Axis of Ordinary
Links and stuff