I'll Be Your Adversarial Trigger
Cats & Learning in the age of AI
I’ve been using ChatGPT (and a couple other tools) to re-learn latin and French. Don’t judge my nerd interests, please.
It’s been a great way to see how advancements in AI are rolling out. And, I can ask for a ham sandwich in eight languages. Now I’m paying closer attention to how AI is (or can be) integrated into structured (i.e. school ) or casual learning (i.e. me). (side note: Here are a couple examples of others doing the same thing)
Open AI is listening (or, OpenAI auscultat (Latin) or OpenAI écouté (French)). They just launched Study Mode. It’s a smart extension of the core product, and it’s also a smart way to improve the overall learning of the LLMs. Each learner who uses this function will give them real world feedback on how to teach users (and at the same time, reinforce the quality of the LLM output).
Cat Attack! Cats Drive AI Crazy, Too
Does your cat drive you crazy? Well, then this study might sound interesting to you. Turns out, cats drive AI crazy, too.
The researchers found out, not surprisingly, if you weave some random facts about cats into a math question - stuff a human would know to disregard - the AI will get confused and the error rate goes up. However, the output sounds just as confident and surefooted as it always does.
The random, non-useful information is called the “adversarial trigger” which is also a great term to use outside of the context of AI. But, as the article points out, cat-info is not just a fun way to catch students cheating with AI, it’s also a demonstration of how easy it is to throw off the LLMs. So, if you’re a malicious actor and you're trying to disrupt someone’s AI system, you now have a purrrfect way to do it.
What’s the Point of College in an AI World?
College is going to be very, very different really soon. Do we even need college anymore? That’s a dramatic, provocative question, but I just watched a recent college CS graduate level himself up as a financial analyst, teaching himself a ton about business statements, cash flow analysis and business modeling using Reddit, YouTube and AI. It’s what a typical finance undergraduate would learn in his senior year of 400 level classes. He did it over the course of 4 months in his spare time at work, and i’d put his current abilities next to any recent MBA. It’s going to be a crazy rich learning environment for people that are motivated to really learn.
This episode of the Grey Area podcast is a good listen for those sending kids into high school or college. It’s a conversation focused on the way LLMs are being used by students and the philosophical and pedagogical implication that follow. Ezra Klein’s got a good episode on this, too. Both these episodes will make you feel some urgency to talk with your kids about the real purpose of education (i.e. “Learn how to learn” or “Learn how to think”… yada yada). And, it will make you wish you got more books into their hands earlier.
Colleagues doing cool things
My colleague Craig Pladson is putting on a smart event in September. The Brave Conference is on Wednesday 9/10. Check it out!
Trying to get re-energized about work and life? Laura King has got the book for you. Check out Shine Brighter, her guide for re-booting.
Listening to
Fathers, Sons and Brothers - David Lowery, one of my all-time favorite songwriters (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven) does a memoir-like triple album, telling his life story through songs. Also check out his substack at David Lowery. His writing is just as great as you hoped it would be.
Planting by the Signs - The new album by SG Goodman is really strong. Some devastatingly beautiful songs here, as you’d expect.
Reading
I’m getting ready for a fall roadtrip to the American south for some music and some bike races, so I’m deep into Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South. It’s an American Studies nerd’s guide to the triangle of Memphis, Nasheville and Muscle Shoals. Also, working through The Heart in Winter, by Kevin Barry. It’s a big swing, but a good one. I’m going to read all his stuff before the end of the year, I promise.
Hope the third month of summer is a good one for all of you!