Building useful bots & open source AI

07/31/24 • 76 min

What have you wanted to know about building bots? Why is there often a negative stigma around bots in current times?

Bradley shares his experience building various bots, including one that tracked the population of a gym, one that automated chatting with Peloton customer support to get a faster delivery, and most importantly, one that helped earn free Chipotle meals. The Brothers expand further on Bots, discussing the value of automating mundane tasks and the potential applications of bots in different industries. Recent developments in AI models also means that integrating AI models into bots unlock even further opportunity and value-add it can have for many industries, including accounting and finance.

The conversation also touches on recent AI developments, namely the release of Meta's Llama open-source AI model. The Brothers dig deeper into the pro's and cons of utilizing open-source AI models, and even further on how there are numerous options to leverage the Llama model, such as via cloud providers or running locally.

Lastly, Bradley gives an update on his job search, sharing some insights into interviewing for the first time in over a year.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Weekend Recap
02:11 Building Bots: Automating Mundane Tasks
12:34 Optimizing Processes with Bots
16:20 From Gym Populations to Peloton Delivery: Bot Success Stories
18:16 Building Bots
29:53 Integrating AI Models into Bots
36:40 Automating Tasks with AppleScript
40:57 Running the Lama AI Model
47:48 The Impact of OpenAI's Llama 3.1 Release
49:32 Challenges Faced by Closed-Source Models
52:06 The Changing Dynamics of Remote Work
58:22 Navigating the Job Market as a Software Engineer

Articles/Links
Brad's Interesting Bookmark:
Tool for optimizing AI prompts

Bennett's Interesting Bookmark:
Why Meta’s Llama 3.1 is a boon for enterprises and a bane for other LLM vendors
The first GPT-4-class AI model anyone can download has arrived: Llama 405B

Creators & Guests

Bradley Bernard - Host
Bennett Bernard - Host

What have you wanted to know about building bots? Why is there often a negative stigma around bots in current times?

Lastly, Bradley gives an update on his job search, sharing some insights into interviewing for the first time in over a year.

Articles/Links
Brad's Interesting Bookmark:
Tool for optimizing AI prompts

Bennett's Interesting Bookmark:
Why Meta’s Llama 3.1 is a boon for enterprises and a bane for other LLM vendors
The first GPT-4-class AI model anyone can download has arrived: Llama 405B

Creators & Guests

Bradley Bernard - Host
Bennett Bernard - Host

Previous Episode

Connections and conferences: The power of networking

In this episode, Bennett and Bradley discuss their thoughts on attending conferences, including strategies for how to get the most of your experiences and how to make genuine connections. They also discuss small but often overlooked strategies that turn one's career from successful to exceptional with just a little extra effort.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and San Diego Trip
03:01 The Importance of Attending Industry Conferences
11:22 Preparing for Conferences and Setting Goals
18:47 The Benefits of Technical and Social Conferences
25:13 Speaking at Conferences and Career Opportunities
30:47 Balancing Preparation and Authenticity in Presentations
34:13 Mastering the Art of Public Speaking
37:37 Taking Notes and Following Up at Conferences
43:45 The Difference Between Success and Exceptional Success
50:19 The Importance of Effort and Going the Extra Mile
58:38 Finding Joy and Fulfillment in Challenging Work

Articles/Links
Brad's Interesting Bookmark:
Magic UI is becoming the go-to UI library for startup landing pages

Bennett's Interesting Bookmark:
Reusable Components in Django with Stimulus and Tailwind CSS - Part 1 | TestDriven.io

Creators & Guests

Bradley Bernard - Host
Bennett Bernard - Host
(00:00) - Introduction and San Diego Trip
(03:01) - The Importance of Attending Industry Conferences
(11:22) - Preparing for Conferences and Setting Goals
(18:47) - The Benefits of Technical and Social Conferences
(25:13) - Speaking at Conferences and Career Opportunities
(30:47) - Balancing Preparation and Authenticity in Presentations
(34:13) - Mastering the Art of Public Speaking
(37:37) - Taking Notes and Following Up at Conferences
(43:45) - The Difference Between Success and Exceptional Success
(50:19) - The Importance of Effort and Going the Extra Mile
(58:38) - Finding Joy and Fulfillment in Challenging Work

Next Episode

Being authentic online: Avoiding the algorithm grasp

In this episode, the Brothers discuss the idea of blending real-life transactions with video games, using the example of a mod in the game Oblivion that allows players to order pizza. They explore the immersive experience of certain games and the potential for integrating real-world transactions within them. Furthermore, they also touch on the concept of being authentic online and the challenges of catering to algorithms while staying true to oneself. They share their experiences with Twitter and the use of AI tools for content creation, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and quality over quantity. Ben and Brad explore the use of AI in writing and the potential drawbacks of relying too heavily on algorithms, and the power and benefit of building a supportive community that shares knowledge to help others.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
07:53 The Immersive Experience of Certain Games
17:28 The Importance of Authenticity Online
21:59 Navigating Algorithms and Quality Content
27:57 The Temptation of AI Tools for Content Creation
31:03 Curating Communities and Finding Value Online
34:49 The Drawbacks of Relying on AI and Algorithms
37:12 Building a Supportive Community and Sharing Knowledge
41:20 The Future of Content Creation: Video and Interviews
01:02:27 Bookmarks

Brad: X: iOS 18.1: App intents, developer integration for Apple Intelligence
Ben: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann

Creators & Guests