Category: Artificial Intelligence

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Artificial Intelligence Meetups Programming Tampa Bay

Tampa Artificial Intelligence Meetup is back!

I’m the new organizer of the Tampa Artificial Intelligence Meetup, a meetup that started way back on June 7, 2017 at its inaugural meetup — which I happened to attend!

Here are some photos from that kick-off meeting, featuring original host Dan Daniels at the head of the room:

Since then, the Tampa Artificial Intelligence Meetup has held dozens of gatherings over the years, ranging from presentations to discussions to study groups.

After the two-year pause from the pandemic, it’s time to get the meetup started again. I’ve been made Tampa Artificial Intelligence Meetup’s organizer with the blessing of organizers Sam Kasimalla, Lenar Mukhamadiev, and OG organizer Stan Liberatore, who remain co-organizers. I’ve also added my partner in life and tech, Anitra Pavka to the co-organizers, as she will provide invaluable assistance in restarting the meetups.

What’s happening at the next Tampa Artificial Intelligence Meetups?

I thought we’d start with a bang and code ELIZA, the very first chatbot, developed between 1964 and 1966 at MIT by Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum. It simulates a Rogerian therapist, using pattern matching to reflect what the patient says back at them or gets the patient to talk about what they just said.

You can try out ELIZA online!

ELIZA was created by computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab over a two-year period from 1964 to 1966:

It simulated a psychotherapist that reflects what the patient says back at them or gets the patient to talk about what they just said. Although it was written for the IBM 7094, a room-sized computer whose operator console is pictured below…

IBM 7094 operator console. Photo by Arnold Reinhold.
Tap to view at full size.

…it later became a popular program on home computers in the 1980s under the name “Eliza” or “Doctor”:

We’ll build ELIZA — in Python. I’ll give you a “starter” project, and you’ll code along with me in real time until you have a working Eliza version that you could tweak into your own chatbot.

You wouldn’t need the latest and greatest computer to do it, either! A laptop from 2010 (and remember, that’s 13 years ago now!) or later would be all you’d need.

When will it happen?

Sometime in May. I’m working on securing a venue, and I’ll announce a date, time and location once we have one.

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Artificial Intelligence Programming Reading Material

Humble Bundle deals on AI books and courses

The “Ultimate Guide to ChatGPT & AI Chat Bots” bundle

Cover of “Exploring GPT-3”

How did I not know this book existed? Exploring GPT-3, published by Packt and written by Tampa Bay’s own Steve Tingiris, is a great introduction to GPT-3 and natural language processing that doesn’t require you to have a technical background. All you need are basic computer skills to try out the exercises in this book.

Ultimate Guide to ChatGPT and AI Chat Bots

Exploring GPT-3 is but one of twelve books, shown below…

Covers of all the books in the “Ultimate Guide to ChatGPT and AI Chat Bots” bundle

… and you can get all o them for as little as $18 in the Ultimate Guide to ChatGPT and AI Chat Bots ebook package from Humble Bundle (pictured above).

🚨 At the time of writing, this Humble Bundle will expire in 17 days.

The “Machine Learning and AI: Zero to Hero” bundle

Machine Learning and AI: Zero to Hero

Also worth checking out: the Machine Learning and AI: Zero to Hero Humble Bundle, which gives you 21 courses from Packt on various aspects of ML and AI:

Covers of all the courses in the “Machine Learning and AI: Zero to Hero” bundle

🚨 At the time of writing, this Humble Bundle will expire in 13 days.

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Artificial Intelligence Meetups Tampa Bay What I’m Up To

Scenes from Tampa Devs’ AI meetup

I’m buried in work right now, but I didn’t want to let more time pass before posting these photos from Monday’s Tampa Devs meetup, where the topic was AI.

Be sure to scroll all the way to the end to see photos of Vince playing the accordion!

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Artificial Intelligence Tampa Bay What I’m Up To

I’ll be talking about ChatGPT and AI on Monday, April 10 at 4 p.m. on FOX 13 Tampa!

Banner: “Talking about ChatGPT and AI” announcing my appearance on FOX 13 New Tampa, Monday, APril 10 at 4:10 p.m., with the ChatGPT logo and photo of Joey deVilla

The folks at the local news program FOX 13 Tampa Bay must’ve liked my appearance on their series on ChatGPT last month, because they’ve invited me to do a live interview tomorrow (Monday, April 10th) at 4:10 p.m .!

I’ll be talking about conversational artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT, their upsides and downsides, and what I and other people are doing to prepare for an age where AIs are commonplace.

If you can catch it on TV or via their live streaming site, give it a watch! I’ll also see about getting an online version that I can post here.

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Artificial Intelligence Humor

ChatGPT prompt experiment: Mr. Clean / “Star Wars” product placement

The original 1977 Star Wars poster, but with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge superimposed over Luke Skywalker's lightsaber.

My prompt:

I need a description of the original “Star Wars” film suitable for a magazine, but with an advertisement for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads somehow inserted into said description. Use big, Hollywood-style promotion language.

ChatGPT’s reply:

In a galaxy far, far away, a timeless epic unfolds, introducing audiences to an unforgettable cast of characters and an intergalactic battle between good and evil. “Star Wars” is a cinematic masterpiece that has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations.

From the moment the iconic opening crawl begins, viewers are transported into a world of adventure and excitement. Join Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo as they embark on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Princess from the clutches of the evil Empire. But their journey will not be easy, as they face off against ruthless stormtroopers, fierce battles, and treacherous villains.

As the story unfolds, audiences are swept away by the thrilling action sequences, the breathtaking special effects, and the iconic soundtrack. But amidst the chaos and excitement, there’s also a heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty, and heroism that continues to resonate with viewers today.

And now, as you watch this timeless classic, experience the magic of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads. With their powerful cleaning technology, these pads can tackle even the toughest stains and dirt, leaving your home sparkling clean. So whether you’re battling the Empire or just fighting a messy kitchen, trust Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads to get the job done right.

In the end, “Star Wars” is more than just a movie. It’s a cultural phenomenon that has inspired countless spin-offs, sequels, and even its own theme park. So come along for the ride, and may the force be with you – and Mr. Clean!

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Artificial Intelligence Deals Programming Reading Material

A ten-dollar head start on machine learning

Want to get a head start on the artificial intelligence wave? Among other things, you’ll need to get a solid understanding of Python and machine learning, and the $10 level of Humble Bundle’s “Cookbooks for Coders” bundle has three great books to get you started:

Plus, you get seven other books covering a number of topics. I personally would benefit from the React, PowerShell, Raspberry Pi, and Regular Expression cookbooks.

I love the “cookbook” format, since it lives in the space between reference books, which are often too dry and provide no usage examples, and tutorials, which can often be a little too directed at solving one problem. Cookbooks give you just enough information to learn how to use a particular language or framework feature so that you can apply that knowledge to solving your particular problem or building the app that you have in mind. I find that I learn the most about a language or framework when I use material from cookbooks and other people’s code in building my own application ideas.

The “Cookbooks for Coders” Humble Bundle is available for another 13 days at the time of this writing. For ten dollars, it’s a pretty sweet deal. I’ve already picked it up, and if you want to get in on some of the machine learning opportunities that are already coming in fast and furious, you should too!

Here’s the Humble Bundle “Cookbooks for Coders” page.

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Artificial Intelligence Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay’s new AI/Python hands-on coding group needs a venue!

  • It has a format: My preferred format for coding meetups is to make it a “code along with me” exercise:
    • You bring a laptop
    • I give you a starter project
    • I put the starter project up on the big screen and start adding code, explaining along the way
    • You code along with me and ask questions or make suggestions if you have any
    • We run the code and make changes, and if we’re doing it right, those changes are improvements
    • If the changes are wrong, those changes are lessons, and we fix things
    • We leave with working code
  • It has a topic: For the first session, we’ll build ELIZA, the original chatbot, which simulates a therapist from the Rogerian school of thought (largely about getting you to talk more about yourself)
  • It has a sponsor for pizza and soft drinks: Sessions will be after work, and it’s hard to code on an empty stomach

But it doesn’t have a venue. I need a place with…

  • A screen and projector for me
  • Seats, tables, and power outlets for attendees
  • Bathrooms for all
  • A table in the back for the pizza and soft drinks

The sessions will typically happen once a month from 6 to 8 p.m. on a weeknight. I’ll set up and clean up. I’m expecting attendance of 20 – 30 people.

If you have a venue that you’d let me use for this meetup, I’d love to hear from you! I’d be happy to promote your organization on this blog and the Tampa Bay Tech Events list. Please contact me at joey@joeydevilla.com and let’s talk!