16th Minute Newsletter 1.0.1
Interesting uses of GenAI, a sign of dysfunctional orgs, largest data breach on record, and micro-reactors!
Testing GenAI for Circuit Board Design
Frequently, we discuss searching for ideas about practical usages of LLMs. In this post, the authors found that the output circuit wasn’t usable and would require an expert to fix the assorted issues and spot problems.
What we found interesting was identifying which LLMs performed better for these tasks. We imagine a world where people reach for different LLMs that are specialists in various areas. It seems that right now, they are very proficient at providing "undergrad" or entry-level responses. This brings to mind a couple of thoughts:
The people who will benefit most from the productivity boost are probably the experts who need some boilerplate written to save time and then adjust it to their specifications. Essentially, people who already know what they want.
It could disrupt the tutoring space for undergrad students or anyone looking for personalized learning instead of needing to find a tutor. This is effectively what I use LLMs for now: "Explain this thing I don't quite understand."
Testing Generative AI for Circuit Board Design
Signs of a Dysfunctional Organization
I’m not sure I agree with the innovation org idea, but a lot of this is good. We’ve always advised clients to "fix broken, slow processes." The heuristic we use is: "In an emergency, do you simply skip the process?" This had a similar feel.
Sign of a Dysfunctional Organization
Snowflake Breach Bigger than Expected
The Snowflake breach is bigger than we thought. It seems that it still comes down to good security practices, such as requiring two-factor authentication. It will be interesting to see what, if any, long-term impact this has.
Snowflake Data Breach Largest Ever?
Rolls-Royce Nuclear Micro-Reactor
This week, a fun and interesting story came up about Rolls-Royce developing a nuclear micro-reactor. If nothing else, it shows the changing opinion about the use of nuclear energy as a source. Additionally, we have seen Bill Gates getting the go-ahead to build a nuclear reactor in Wyoming.