When Python was first publicly released in 1991, it didn’t support threads or have a global interpreter lock. The support for threads was added about a year later in 1992 together with the GIL. During that time, a number of operating systems added better support for threading and computers began rolling out with multiple processors.
“And that’s the moment that GIL became infamous because it was the solution we used as the single interpreter and shared it between all the different operating system threads that you could create. And so as long as the hardware physically only had one CPU, that was all fine,” said the creator of Python, Guido van Rossum, in an interview for the Lex Fridman podcast.
Besides Python, Linux and FreeBSD also had a system of global locks, the big kernel lock in Linux and a lock called giant in FreeBSD. They also only allowed one thread to be processed at a time, by the interpreter. Over time, these locks were replaced by ‘fine-grained locking’ and other techniques to make things work faster and more efficiently.
Thanks to the new update, no-GIL allows Python to leverage modern hardware much more seamlessly and naturally. The Python Enhancement Proposal (PEP) allows a new build configuration flag that disables GIL in CPython, running without the lock.
Read more here.
Why Do You Need Worldcoin When You Have Aadhaar?
In 2009, the Indian government launched Aadhaar cards to provide a unique identity to the citizens of the country. It was meant to help the government fund social welfare schemes and programs focused on the poor. It also streamlined delivery mechanisms under welfare schemes, thereby ensuring transparency and efficiency. Worldcoin’s goal is pretty much similar to that, but on a global level. It aims to give the wealth generated by AI back to society, among other things.
However, Worldcoin has yet to present a convincing argument to instill trust in its platform and identification system over and above the established methods of identification. Within five days of its launch, European regulators are looking into its reliance on iris scans to verify users’ identity. Germany, too, is investigating Worldcoin for concerns over its large-scale processing of sensitive biometric data. Is India next?
Read more here.
Exits in Generative AI
If you track the investments in generative AI by VCs like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, or Y Combinator, you will notice that most of the exits are because of them getting acquired by tech giants like Google, Databricks and others. Case in point: Startups such as MosaicML and Neeva.AI, which got acquired within two years of their formation. And yet, it becomes difficult for investors to assess which one would actually give them the exit they need.
Pearl Agarwal, the founder of Eximius Ventures, which has invested in generative AI startups like Alltius and others, said that there are two types of startups in the field — horizontal platforms that are focusing on core innovations, such as OpenAI, and vertical platforms that are utilising technologies from these companies to create applications in diverse use cases. “In both these cases, the exit strategy is similar to other tech investments and is mostly about getting acquired by a tech giant or going into IPO,” she added.
That’s fine. But the question is how long will generative AI startups take to provide an exit to their investors? Read to find out.
AI Alignment is a Joke
Reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) has been one of the most important aspects of the success of ChatGPT, inspiring the widespread adoption of this approach.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий
Примечание. Отправлять комментарии могут только участники этого блога.