TNAI: @swyx on the Rise of the AI Engineer

Mar 4, 2024

We recently had a fireside chat with Latent Space co-founder and host swyx! We talked about what an AI Engineer looks like, code-centric versus LLM-centric approaches in AI development, RAG versus long context, and much more.

This event is brought to you by @OutsetCap and @imbue_ai. Special thanks to WndrCo for sponsoring our event series!

On the Rise of the AI Engineer

swyx: "AI engineers are the architects of a new era, blending software engineering with the power of AI. We're witnessing the rise of a specialized cohort dedicated to crafting AI-centric solutions, driving innovation in AI-specific software. This evolution in job titles signifies an industry in its nascent stage, poised for exponential growth."

On Code-Core vs. LLM Core

swyx: "Effectively, everyone has this concept of the LLM as the central processing unit, central brain in their app. But the job of an AI engineer is to recognize the limitations of relying solely on LLMs and to strategically integrate a code-centric approach to imbue intelligence to their systems, and fully harness their app’s capabilities."

On Long Context vs. RAG

swyx: "Contrary to belief, million-context models will not kill Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). Right now, million-context models are not practical due to speed and cost reasons, thus we still need RAG. It's a step forward in one dimension, but improvement requires advancements in multiple dimensions, ensuring the symbiosis of different AI techniques."

On the AI Engineer's World's Fair:

swyx: "The AI Engineer's World's Fair will be like the NeurIPS for AI engineers. We aim to provide a platform for AI engineers to showcase their tools, techniques, and challenges, reflecting the state of AI engineering in 2024. It fosters collaboration, innovation, and community building within the AI engineering industry."

swyx: @swyx
Ali Rohde: @RohdeAli
Josh Albrecht: @joshalbrecht

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