Suhail Doshi: The Future of Computer Vision

Suhail Doshi: The Future of Computer Vision

Author: Daniel Bashir May 16, 2024 Duration: 1:08:07

Episode 123

I spoke with Suhail Doshi about:

* Why benchmarks aren’t prepared for tomorrow’s AI models

* How he thinks about artists in a world with advanced AI tools

* Building a unified computer vision model that can generate, edit, and understand pixels.

Suhail is a software engineer and entrepreneur known for founding Mixpanel, Mighty Computing, and Playground AI (they’re hiring!).

Reach me at editor@thegradient.pub for feedback, ideas, guest suggestions.

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Outline:

* (00:00) Intro

* (00:54) Ad read — MLOps conference

* (01:30) Suhail is *not* in pivot hell but he *is* all-in on 50% AI-generated music

* (03:45) AI and music, similarities to Playground

* (07:50) Skill vs. creative capacity in art

* (12:43) What we look for in music and art

* (15:30) Enabling creative expression

* (18:22) Building a unified computer vision model, underinvestment in computer vision

* (23:14) Enhancing the aesthetic quality of images: color and contrast, benchmarks vs user desires

* (29:05) “Benchmarks are not prepared for how powerful these models will become”

* (31:56) Personalized models and personalized benchmarks

* (36:39) Engaging users and benchmark development

* (39:27) What a foundation model for graphics requires

* (45:33) Text-to-image is insufficient

* (46:38) DALL-E 2 and Imagen comparisons, FID

* (49:40) Compositionality

* (50:37) Why Playground focuses on images vs. 3d, video, etc.

* (54:11) Open source and Playground’s strategy

* (57:18) When to stop open-sourcing?

* (1:03:38) Suhail’s thoughts on AGI discourse

* (1:07:56) Outro

Links:

* Playground homepage

* Suhail on Twitter



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Hosted by Daniel Bashir, The Gradient: Perspectives on AI moves beyond surface-level headlines to explore the intricate machinery and human ideas shaping artificial intelligence. Each episode is built on a foundation of deep research, leading to conversations that are both technically substantive and broadly accessible. You'll hear from researchers, engineers, and philosophers who are actively building and critiquing our technological future, discussing not just how AI systems work, but the larger implications of their integration into society. This isn't about speculative hype; it's a grounded examination of real progress, persistent challenges, and ethical considerations from those on the front lines. The discussions peel back layers on topics like model architecture, policy, and the fundamental science behind the algorithms becoming part of our daily lives. For anyone curious about the substance behind the buzz-whether you have a technical background or are simply keen to understand a defining technology of our age-this podcast offers a crucial and thoughtful resource. Tune in for a consistently detailed and nuanced take that treats artificial intelligence with the complexity it deserves.
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