ai

Artificial Intelligence, Technology

Inference at the Edge: Running a Large Language Model Chatbot on Consumer Hardware Updated

Generative artificial intelligence and conversational chatbots like ChatGPT have made headlines in recent months. These virtual assistants sound nearly human because they are based on extremely large datasets that contain real human conversations or other sources of data that contain the desired output for a given input.  Hobbyists and open source enthusiasts are experimenting with ways to run size optimized versions of large language models that have been tuned for instruction based interaction with humans and run locally on consumer-grade hardware. Continue reading Inference at the Edge: Running a Large Language Model Chatbot on Consumer Hardware Updated

Mike Connelly
Artificial Intelligence, Technology

A Primer on Conversational Artificial Intelligence Agents & Large Language Models Updated

Conversational agents and the large language models (LLM) at their core have become increasingly proficient at mimicking human language and behavior, so that they can respond to a wide variety of instructions. They have been shown to be effective in many different tasks such as question and answering, dialogue generation, text summarization, machine translation, and even programming. But the questions remain: do LLMS actually know anything? And, how do they actually work? Continue reading A Primer on Conversational Artificial Intelligence Agents & Large Language Models Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Home Network 4.0 with Ubiquiti Unifi Dream Machine Pro, Switch Pro, Flex Mini, Smart Power Plug & UPS Review & Calibration Updated

My friends laugh (and my wife sighs) at how often I upgrade our home networking gear. Our biggest equipment swap occurred two years ago, when we consolidated our entire home network on Ubiquiti Unifi gear. Last year, I upgraded our firewall, network controller, and WiFi access points. I also added a PoE-powered switch to our data closet. Separately, we replaced one of our home security camera systems with the Ubiquiti Unifi Protect system. Now it’s time for more upgrades… Continue reading How To: Home Network 4.0 with Ubiquiti Unifi Dream Machine Pro, Switch Pro, Flex Mini, Smart Power Plug & UPS Review & Calibration Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home, Music

Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 2): Review of Voice Services Including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple Airplay 2 Updated

Sonos speakers will be able to bridge the gaps between Amazon, Apple, and Google’s smart home ecosystems. Sonos owners will be in the unique position of choosing their preferred voice assistant for a task, independent from the music source, method of streaming, or smart home control. For example, a Sonos owner could maintain their music library in iTunes, their music subscription service on YouTube or Amazon, their home control on Apple HomeKit, and ask general knowledge questions to Google Assistant or Alexa. Similarly, Sonos consumers could control Nest and HomeKit devices from a single smart speaker. Continue reading Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 2): Review of Voice Services Including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple Airplay 2 Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home, Music

Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 1): The State of Smart Speakers Updated

Amazon Echo’s primary function appears to be extending Amazon’s ecosystem including e-commerce and advertising. Like Amazon, Google Home’s primary goal appears to be lowering the price of its devices so that users will install multiple devices in their homes, generating more user data for Google’s advertising business. Apple’s product design treats smart speakers as a relatively dumb and local extension of the iPhone. The Sonos One hits the price-performance sweet spot: although it costs nearly twice what an Echo or Home does, it provides significantly better sound. Continue reading Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 1): The State of Smart Speakers Updated

Mike Connelly