You probably don’t want to know what’s in those hidden layers.
I wish I could take credit for it, but I didn’t come up with it; Eryk Salvaggio did, and he posted it on Mastodon.
Need context about those images of trolleys and tied-up people? You’ll want to look up the Trolley Problem thought experiment, followed by this collection of Trolley Problem memes.
Need context about the diagram? That’s a neural network, which is explained quite nicely in this article.
Thanks to everyone who came to The SocialCode x Tampa: Embracing the AI Evolution event last Thursday (September 7, 2023) for an evening of presentations and discussion about AI! As promised, here’s a link to the slides for my presentation, Centaurs vs. Minotaurs:
The current “best bang for your buck” deal on AI ebooks is the 3-book version of Humble Bundle’s Machine Learning and AI 2023 book bundle, which is available for a mere one US dollar for the next 16 days.
I already own one of the three (Artificial Intelligence with Python, Second Edition), but I’m not going to complain about getting two new-to-me books at 50 cents each!
The books are:
Are you looking for an economical way to become an AI development expert? Spend a buck on these three books, get any computer made in the past dozen years with plenty of RAM (SODIMMS for old computers are pretty cheap these days), and do the exercises in the books. We’re early enough into the new AI age that if you do all these, you’ll be ahead of most aspiring AI developers out there.
September starts this week, and each week in this new month has its own big Tampa Bay tech event, with new opportunities to learn, network, make friends, and take part in “The Other Bay Area’s” tech scene!
These events, which are covered in more detail below, are:
| Event | Quick summary | When and where |
| SocialCode x Tampa | An evening of AI (3 short talks and a panel discussion) and networking in a swanky Hyde Park venue. | Thursday, Sept. 7 Hyde House |
| BSides St. Pete | Deep cybersecurity knowledge will abound, with a full Friday of training sessions and a full Saturday devoted to a Black Hat-style conference. | Friday/Saturday Sept. 15 – 16 St. Petersburg College’s Seminole Campus |
| DevOpsDays Tampa Bay | A full-day conference dedicated to DevOps (“Dev” as in “software development,” “Ops” and in “IT operations”) in Tampa’s best conference venue. | Thursday, September 21 Armature Works |
| Navigating Your Tech Journey | An evening of tech career guidance (keynote and panel discussion) and networking at Tampa Bay’s premier tech gathering space. | Tuesday, September 26 Embarc Collective |
The SocialCode is the name for events that tech recruiter Oscar Technology hold worldwide, and they’re holding one in Tampa on Thursday, September 7th!
| The event: | The SocialCode x Tampa |
| TL;DR: | An evening of AI (3 short talks and a panel discussion) and networking in a swanky Hyde Park venue. |
| Recommended if you’re: | • Interested in AI (that’s the speaker and panel topic) • Looking for tech work (because it’s sponsored and run by a tech recruiting company) • Looking for a fancier event (it’s in Hyde Park) |
| When: | Thursday, September 7, 2023 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. |
| Where: | Hyde House Public Studio 1646 W Snow Avenue, Tampa FL |
| How much: | Free! |
| Where to register: | The SocialCode x Tampa’s Eventbrite page |
This event, The SocialCode x Tampa, will focus on AI and feature these speakers:
This event is free to attend — register here!
BSides is the name of a series of cybersecurity conferences that grew from the “overflow presentation” at Black Hat and are now their own thing! The St. Pete edition happens on the weekend of September 15th and 16th, with the training sessions on the 15th and the conference proper on the 16th!
| The event: | BSides St. Pete |
| TL;DR: | Deep cybersecurity knowledge will abound, with a full Friday of training sessions and a full Saturday devoted to a Black Hat-style conference. |
| Recommended if you’re: | • Interested in cybersecurity and infosec (that’s what this conference is all about) • Looking for cybersecurity and infosec work (there’ll be lots of people from security companies there, and some of them will be recruiting) • “Homesick” for Black Hat and/or DEFCON or didn’t get to go this year • On a budget and want to get the most hardcore conference bang for your buck |
| When: | • Training sessions on Friday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. • Conference day on Saturday, September 16, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Where: | St. Petersburg College – Seminole Campus 9200 113th Street N, Seminole FL |
| How much: | • Friday training sessions: $1 (really!) • Regular admission: $25 • College/university student admission: $15 • Middle/high school student admission: $10 • Elementary school student admission: $1 |
| Where to register: | BSides St. Pete’s registration page |
If you want a taste of what BSides is like, check out my article, Scenes from BSides Tampa X 2023, which I attended this spring. BSides St. Pete will continue the tradition of sharing deep cybersecurity/infosec knowledge, but on the St. Pete side of the Bay this time!
The Friday training sessions will be:
The Saturday conference sessions will be:
This event charges admission, but it’s pretty cheap — register here!
Devops is underrated, which is a terrible shame, because software and systems don’t happen without it! Luckily for us techies in Tampa Bay, we have a conference on devops, and it’s happening on Thursday, September 21!
| The event: | DevOpsDays Tampa Bay |
| TL;DR: | A full-day conference dedicated to DevOps (“Dev” as in “software development,” “Ops” and in “IT operations”) in Tampa’s best conference venue. |
| Recommended if you’re: | • Interested in devops, CI/CD, and setting up, operating, and maintaining all the things that make software development and delivery possible (that’s what this conference is all about) • Looking for devops work (there’ll be lots of people working in devops there, and some of them will be recruiting) • Curious as to how software and systems get built and deployed beyond the planning and coding phases |
| When: | Thursday, September 21, 2023 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Where: | Armature Works 1910 N Ola Avenue, Tampa FL |
| How much: | • Before September 1: $100 • After September 1: $150 |
| Where to register: | DevOpsDays Tampa Bay’s Eventbrite page |
The conference sessions will be:
Admission is $150, but if you register before September 1, you can save $50 and pay only $100 — register here!
Hot on the heels of their successful “Breaking into Tech” panel back in late July, Tampa Bay Techies are holding a great follow-up meetup where the topic will be about bridging the opportunity gap in the Tampa Bay technology industry.
| The event: | Navigating Your Tech Journey |
| TL;DR: | An evening of tech career guidance (keynote and panel discussion) and networking at Tampa Bay’s premier tech gathering space. |
| Recommended if you’re: | • Wondering what the next move in your tech career should be (that’s the main topic of this meetup) • Looking for tech work (there’ll be lots of people working in tech there, and some of them will be recruiting) • New to the Tampa Bay tech scene or haven’t been to a Tampa Bay tech event in a while |
| When: | Tuesday, September 26, 2023 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. |
| Where: | Embarc Collective 802 E Whiting Street, Tampa FL |
| How much: | Free! |
| Where to register: | Navigating Your Tech Journey’s Meetup page |
This event will feature Candace Williams, who will share her inspiring journey into the world of technology. From her early days to becoming Associate Director, Cybersecurity at Raytheon and starting Cyb(H)er Ally, Candace’s story is a testament to what’s possible in the tech industry.
Following Candace’s keynote address, there will be a panel of accomplished industry professionals ready to answer your burning questions. Guided by the audience’s inquiries, this discussion will focus on the invaluable lessons they learned when starting their tech careers and finding their own unique paths in the industry.
This event is free to attend — register here!
The SocialCode x Tampa is a few weeks away, but if you’re into AI and networking with Tampa’s top technology people in one of Tampa’s top venues, you’ll want to put this on your calendar right now.
The first reason you should attend is venue: Hyde House Public Studio’s Black Box Auditorium. It’s a great space that rarely sees a Tampa Bay tech event, and it’s going to be amazing.
The second reason you should attend is the speaker lineup:
Craig Bosco is a lifelong learner with a passion for math and technology, as well as finding innovative solutions. After working in multiple industries and starting his own business, he’s found a calling with Data Science and has spent the last five years developing his skills to apply programmatic solutions for hosted services and predictive modelling. Telling a story with data is his expertise, and he loves solving difficult problems.
Craig will discuss how predictive analytics can play a part in healthcare staffing, the role of AI in automation and operational excellence, and how different types of AI can be used to augment the skills of a limited workforce. In the healthcare world, where resources are always limited, AI can be a multiplying force, filling in gaps where human time may be limited and providing an extra set of eyes where getting the right answer is critical.
James is a Generative AI Director for Accenture, bringing over 30 years of software delivery experience, leading global teams to break new ground in Generative AI solutions. James has a strong foundation in AI, DevOps, Architecture, and Modern Engineering practices spanning various projects and across numerous industries, technologies, and software platforms.
James’ expertise doesn’t end with software architecture and creating custom automation tools, he also takes great pleasure in exploring the groundbreaking fields of the Metaverse and Generative AI during his personal time. This blend of professional accomplishment and personal fascination embodies an undying dedication to the ever-changing landscape of technology.
James’ talk, “Talk Track” will involve a captivating exploration into the groundbreaking realm of Generative AI. In this insightful session, James will elucidate how various organizations are harnessing the power of Generative AI to drive innovation in their products and enhance operational efficiency. This session will also explore and demonstrate how we can use multiple technologies across the entire software delivery lifecycle.
Witness firsthand how this revolutionary tool is reshaping the coding process by generating code lines and blocks, offering an up-close look at how Generative AI is transforming our workplaces and the potential it holds for the future of technology. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get a glimpse of the technological revolution that’s just around the corner!
(Yup, I’m speaking at this event!)
If you hear an accordion at a programming presentation, chances are that Joey de Villa is the one playing, presenting, or both. He’s a Senior Developer Advocate at Okta, where he specializes in supporting mobile and Python developers.
He’s also the editor of Tampa Bay’s tech blog, Global Nerdy, home of the Tampa Bay Tech Events list, and organizes Tampa’s AI and Apple coding meetups. When he’s not programming or talking to programmers, he plays in a band called the Tropical Sons, does daily 10K bike rides around his neighborhood, plays tabletop and video games, and is always looking for interesting new places to hang out.
Joey’s talk, “Centaurs vs. Minotaurs,” is a metaphor used in AI circles for two different approaches to human-AI synergy. In the “centaur” relationship (human head/horse body), the human is in charge and the AI follows its orders. Conversely in the “minotaur” relationship (bull head/human body), the AI is making the decisions and the human follows its orders.
The final reason you should attend: Oscar Technology have a great track record with tech events, having held great SocialCode mixers in the U.S. and the U.K. If you remember the evening party at Ulele after the first day of Civo Navigate North America back in February, you’re remembering an Oscar Technology event!
Join us as we kick off September with a great event where you’ll learn more about AI and its applications, mix and mingle with Tampa Bay’s tech scene, get an opportunity to speak to the tech recruiters at Oscar, and have a grand old time in an great venue!
I know this is short notice, but I just found out via the Tampa Startup Founder 101 meetup that the Founder Institute is holding an online event today (Thursday, July 20, 2023) from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern: How to Leverage Generative AI for Your Work.
Here’s the description of the event:
Join us for an immersive live webinar where we’ll explore the transformative potential of generative AI in today’s digital landscape. Throughout the event, attendees will delve into the dynamic world of generative AI, gaining insights into its wide-ranging applications across various industries. Our guest speaker Saroop Bharwani will introduce us to practical use cases and success stories that demonstrate how this groundbreaking technology is revolutionizing the way we work. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to catch up with the latest trends and applications!
What You’ll Learn:
• AI principles and basic concepts
• What are the elements of a prompt
• Common generative AI use casesFeatured speakers:
Saroop Bharwani – Founder at Senso.ai: Saroop is a seasoned tech entrepreneur, AI thought leader, and educator. He has been actively sharing his knowledge and insights with executives, MBA students, and startups over the past 10 years. He’s the co-founder of Senso.ai and FirstPrinciplesAI. Both are platforms that leverage AI for business transformation. He has also given lectures on AI at prestigious universities, including the University of Toronto, Harvard, and Queens University.
CoreX Legal is a Tampa-based law firm whose lawyers operate in the intersection of law and technology, and they’re holding an online seminar with the intriguing title Useful AI Tools and How to Use (or Tolerate) Them in Your Business. It’s happening this Thursday, July 20th at 12:00 p.m., and you can register (it’s free) here.
Here’s their writeup of the event:
The advent of the widespread use of artificial intelligence tools has occasioned significant legal and ethical concerns on many fronts. Notably, it seems likely that many uses of artificial intelligence involve rampant copyright infringement. Further, use of these tools can give rise to confidentiality, privacy, and security concerns.
Should governments regulate AI? Should companies enact policies regarding employee use of AI? What are the risks for people just trying to keep up with the latest technology.
Who the f**k knows, but this webinar will try to figure it all out … and give you own tools to navigate the rocky AI landscape in your business.