Everyone’s Using AI Wrong — Here’s How to Actually Win | Hugging Face CEO Explains

Key Concepts

Hugging Face, AI apps (Spaces), Open Source, AI Agents, Robotics, AI + Science, Job Disruption, Creativity, AI Ethics, Universal Basic Income.

Hugging Face: Democratizing AI

• Core Mission: Hugging Face aims to democratize AI by providing open-source tools and resources for developers and, increasingly, non-technical users.
• Three Main Components:
  • Models: Pre-trained AI models for various tasks.
  • Datasets: Datasets for training and fine-tuning AI models.
  • AI Apps (Spaces): A growing "app store" of AI applications accessible to non-technical users.
• Spaces:
  • Small websites created by the community offering low-code interfaces for AI tasks.
  • Examples: Removing image backgrounds, text-to-speech, generating 3D characters from images.
  • Users can directly use Spaces on the platform or download and run them locally (if their PC is powerful enough).
• Example: Generating an image from a prompt, similar to Midjourney, but with open-source options.
• Viable Coding Space: Deep Sight, a free web coding space using the Chinese Deep Seek model, allows users to create websites.

Open Source and Ownership

• Open Source Philosophy: Sharing code with a license (e.g., MIT, Apache) that allows others to use and modify it, with attribution to the original creator.
• Licensing:
  • MIT/Apache: Permits use and modification with attribution.
  • More Complex Licenses: May require payment for commercial applications.
• Analogy to Wikipedia: Users can use and edit content but should credit the original creator.
• Open Core Model: Open-sourcing the core functionality while keeping business-specific features (e.g., security, integration) proprietary and charging for them.
• Example: Linux and NumPy are widely used open-source software where the creators haven't captured a fraction of the generated business value.
• Mission-Driven Development: Many developers contribute to open source for the sake of accessibility and widespread use, even if it means earning less.

AI Agents and HubSpot's Playbook

• HubSpot's AI Agent Guide: A resource for understanding and implementing AI agents in business.
• Marketing Applications: AI agents can assist with content creation, social media posts, and campaign analytics.
• Sales Applications: AI agents can handle prep work, research, meeting notes, and follow-ups.
• Operations Applications: AI agents can organize tasks, automate administrative work, and provide real-time insights.
• Key Benefit: Allows teams to focus on strategic thinking and creative ideas rather than repetitive tasks.
• HubSpot AI Startup Pitch Competition: Offers $50,000 in cash and other prizes to the winner.

The Future of Coding and Development

• Dual Trend: Both non-technical individuals becoming users and creators of technical products, and developers learning to code in new ways using AI tools.
• Non-Technical Users: Entrepreneurs with business backgrounds are using no-code/low-code tools to prototype and build applications.
• New Learning Methods: Children are learning to code by using AI tools to generate code and then diving into the code to understand and modify it.
• Continued Need for Developers: AI tools have limitations, so developers are still needed to create and maintain complex systems.

Raising Children in the Age of AI

• Timeless Values: Creativity and the ability to create novel things will remain important.
• Creativity vs. LLMs: LLMs are good at predicting the most likely output but struggle with truly original ideas.
• Importance of Creativity: Essential for standing out and creating impactful content.
• Opening Horizons: Exposing children to various possibilities and tools without forcing them into specific paths.
• Example: Showing children AI tools and letting them explore and discover them independently.

The World in 5-10 Years

• Continued Human Interaction: Human interaction and activities like podcasts will persist.
• AI Automation: Increased automation across various tasks.
• Robotics: Increased presence of robots in various settings.
• Hugging Face's Robotics Initiative: Acquired a robotics company to develop accessible robots for developers and educational purposes.
• Physical Presence of AI: Robots provide a physical embodiment of AI, making it more tangible.
• Open Source Robotics: Users can teach robots new skills and share them on Hugging Face.
• Robot App Store: Envisioned future where robots have a wide range of applications that can be tailored by users.
• Near-Term Robot Capabilities: Expects robots capable of performing household tasks within the next year.
• Price and Regulation: Price and safety regulations are key factors influencing the widespread adoption of household robots.
• Robot Form Factors: Exploring various robot designs beyond humanoid forms.
• Privacy and Security: Ensuring robots prioritize privacy and security, especially regarding data transmission.

AI Ethics and Societal Impact

• Privacy Concerns: Open source allows users to run models locally, preventing data from being sent to external servers.
• Job Disruption: AI will disrupt certain professions, particularly those involving routine tasks and long study periods (e.g., law).
• Government and Societal Response: Need for governments and think tanks to address the potential for job displacement.
• Advice for Students:
  • Become proficient in using AI tools.
  • Identify the most enjoyable and valuable aspects of their jobs and focus on those.
• Entrepreneurship: AI tools can empower more people to become entrepreneurs.
• Universal Basic Income: Potential need for societal safety nets like universal basic income.
• Entertainment-Driven Society: Possibility of a future where entertainment becomes the primary focus.
• Loss of Human Skills: Concern about losing essential human skills due to over-reliance on automation (e.g., navigation skills due to GPS).

AI's Future Form Factor

• Ubiquitous AI: AI will be embedded in various devices and systems, similar to electronics today.
• Smaller, High-Performance Models: Trend towards smaller AI models that can be deployed on edge devices.
• AI Chips: Development of specialized AI chips for improved performance and energy efficiency.

AI + Science: Solving Global Challenges

• AI for Scientific Discovery: Using AI techniques to accelerate research in fields like material science, weather prediction, and fusion energy.
• AI for Material Science: Developing new materials for batteries and carbon capture.
• Hope for Breakthroughs: Aiming to use AI to solve significant global challenges.

Conclusion

The conversation highlights the transformative potential of AI across various sectors, from democratizing access to AI tools through platforms like Hugging Face to revolutionizing scientific discovery. While acknowledging the potential for job disruption and ethical concerns, the speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing AI, fostering creativity, and proactively addressing the societal implications of this rapidly evolving technology. The future envisions a world where AI is ubiquitous, empowering individuals and driving innovation across diverse fields.