Overview

Class Central Tips

Dive into the fascinating journey of artificial intelligence, from its theoretical beginnings to today's powerful generative models. This course offers a unique perspective on how AI has transformed over decades, highlighting the crucial developments in deep learning that paved the way for modern AI breakthroughs. After completing this course, you will be able to: - Trace the evolution of AI from its early concepts to modern generative models - Identify key technological breakthroughs that enabled the rise of generative AI - Understand the fundamental differences between traditional AI and generative AI - Recognize potential applications and impacts of generative AI across various fields You'll gain insights into the game-changing advancements—like self-supervised learning and transformers—that propelled generative AI to its current prominence. By understanding this history, you'll be better equipped to anticipate future trends and applications in AI. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional looking to leverage AI in your field, or simply curious about the technology shaping our future, this course provides valuable context to help you navigate the exciting world of generative AI.

Syllabus

Lesson 1 Course and Instructor Introduction

Meet the instructor, Prof. Jesse Spencer-Smith, and find out about how we'll learn the history of AI and gain insight into the future.

Lesson 2: Where Did “AI” Come From?

Let's take a trip through time and look at how AI has changed over the years. You might be surprised to learn that we've been talking about "AI" for over 60 years! But here's the funny thing - what we've called AI has changed drastically. In this lesson, we're going to explore the journey from the very first discussions about machine intelligence all the way to the chat assistants we have today. We'll look at the key players, the breakthrough moments, and the times when AI hit roadblocks. You'll see how the goals and approaches of AI shifted, even though we kept using the same term. Understanding this history isn't just about looking back - it's crucial for grasping why today's generative AI is such a big deal. So buckle up - we're about to dive into the fascinating story of how we got from early computers to machines that can chat, create, and reason.

Lesson 3: What's So Different About Generative AI?

In this lesson, we're going to explore why generative AI represents such a significant leap forward in the field of artificial intelligence. We've been working on AI for decades, but recent developments have led to breakthroughs that were once thought to be years away. We'll examine the key advancements that have enabled this shift: a powerful new learning algorithm, the innovative approach of self-supervised learning, and the impact of scaling up our models. These elements have come together to create AI systems capable of tasks that were previously considered extremely challenging or even impossible. By understanding these core developments, you'll gain insight into why generative AI has become so prevalent and powerful. We'll discuss how these changes have resulted in AI that can generate human-like text, create art, and even write code. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a clear understanding of what sets generative AI apart and why it represents a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence capabilities. Let's dive into the technologies that are driving this AI revolution. CopyRetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

Lesson 4: Gen AI Today and Tomorrow

In this final lesson, we explore the cutting edge of generative AI and peek into its future. We'll examine the architecture of decoder transformers - the engines powering today's most advanced AI models - and uncover how relatively small changes in training can lead to dramatically different capabilities. You'll learn about the latest developments like instruction fine-tuning and AI agents, and understand why smaller, more efficient models are on the horizon. We'll also discuss the profound implications of generative AI for businesses and individuals, including the concept of "opportunity liability" and the democratization of technical skills. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a clear picture of generative AI's trajectory and be well-equipped to anticipate and leverage future developments in this rapidly evolving field.