The AI world is evolving faster than ever, and open-source language models are catching up to their proprietary counterparts. But what does this mean for the everyday user and practitioner of AI?
In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with
, co-author of Hands-On Large Language Models and an instructor at deeplearning.ai of 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘓𝘔𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬. Maarten has dedicated his career to making AI more accessible through open-source contributions and educational content.Key topics and takeaways:
The evolution of AI models—from bag-of-words to transformers – AI has progressed from simple word-counting methods to advanced transformer architectures, revolutionizing natural language processing.
Why small, open-source AI models could be the future – Compact AI models are becoming more efficient and accessible, making powerful AI capabilities available even on personal devices.
When to use open-source vs. proprietary models – Open-source models offer flexibility and security, while proprietary models provide cutting-edge performance but come with cost and privacy concerns.
The skills you need to stay ahead in the AI era – As AI continues to advance, understanding model architectures, data science fundamentals, and prompt engineering is becoming increasingly valuable.
How to use AI efficiently to supercharge your career – Mastering AI-powered tools can help professionals automate tasks, improve productivity, and stay competitive in an evolving job market.
At
, we believe mastering AI is the key to unlocking endless opportunities, regardless of your background or role in data. Our conversations with many inspiring guests have shown us that, while AI may initially appear daunting, its fundamentals are surprisingly straightforward - and completely within your grasp.We see AI not just as a beneficial skill but as an essential one, critical to thriving in today’s professional world. That's why, in addition to driving transparency into data functions, we're dedicated to demystifying AI, bringing you clear, practical, and empowering insights. Our goal is to equip everyone with the confidence and knowledge to embrace AI, ensuring no one is left behind in this exciting, rapidly evolving future.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro to Maarten Grootendorst
2:36 The Evolution of AI Models – From Bag of Words to LLMs
7:50 How Contextual Embeddings Changed AI
10:40 The AI Boom – Why Did It Happen So Fast?
17:50 Why Should You Care About LLMs?
27:09 Open-Source vs. Proprietary Models – Which is Better?
35:41 The Future of Small AI Models & LLM Agents
45:55 How to Get Started with AI (Even If You're a Beginner)
56:08 The Most Underrated Skill in AI & Data Science
Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane:
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