In this episode of “The Lex Fridman Podcast,” Lex Fridman sits down with George Hotz, the founder of Kama AI and TinyCorp. They discuss a wide range of topics including AI safety, self-driving cars, language models, and the philosophical nature of time. Hotz also shares insights into his work with TinyGrad, a neural network framework, and his experiences at Twitter and NetSuite.
George Hotz, the founder of Kama AI and TinyCorp, discusses his work with TinyGrad, a neural network framework that simplifies AI and can run on any device easily. He also shares his experiences hacking into the iPhone and refactoring code at Twitter. Additionally, Hotz mentions NetSuite, an all-in-one cloud business management system that handles various aspects of a business.
Hotz delves into the philosophical nature of time and questions whether it is an illusion. He emphasizes that the usefulness of models in describing reality is more important than their reflection of an objective reality. Furthermore, Hotz explores the potential dangers of AI and the concept of wire heading, where humans amuse themselves to death and forget to eat.
Hotz raises concerns about AI safety and the potential risks associated with building superintelligence before ensuring its robustness. He highlights that AI cannot currently survive in nature like robust organisms and emphasizes the importance of intelligence control to prevent dangerous individuals from accessing AI technology.
Hotz discusses the capabilities of language models, noting that they can fine-tune more efficiently and selflessly than humans in relationships. He explores the changing conception of monogamy with the rise of AI relationships and the questions AI raises about what it means to be human, particularly in online interactions. Hotz also mentions the girlfriend touring test, which evaluates whether an AI can mimic a human girlfriend.
Hotz explains the motivation behind creating TinyCorp to challenge Nvidia’s potential monopoly in the AI chip market. He highlights TinyGrad, a neural network library that uses significantly fewer operations compared to other libraries. Hotz emphasizes the importance of refactoring code bases before adding features and the need for technical leadership to maintain a great code base.
George Hotz’s conversation with Lex Fridman covers a wide range of topics, including AI, philosophy, AI safety, language models, and programming. Hotz’s insights provide valuable perspectives on the current state and potential future of AI and its impact on various aspects of society.