Staying Current
Due to the exponential growth in Machine Learning and AI, staying current with the latests developments is challenging. Every day new models, applications, processes, techniques, etc. are announced. Keeping perfectly up-to-date with all of this seems virtually impossible. There are, however, methods that can be used to stay aware of the information most pertinent to your personal/organizational interests.
Factors to Consider
There are several factors to consider in forming an approach to staying current, including:
Time Scope: recent, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.
Topic Focus: general, models, applications, processes, techniques, et.
Information Sources: corporate announcements, videos, blogs, websites, news, research papers, etc.
Methods: browser search, generative AI, direct sources, notification services
Query using Browser Search
Using a browser, such as Chrome, provides lists of links relative to the search test. An example query is:
recent developments regarding AI models
Query using Generative AI
Using a Generative AI chat interface can provide information in a summarized form. As AI Agent capabilities are deployed in chat interfaces, automatic scheduling of queries will be possible.
Here’s an example of a ChatGPT query:
please provide a list from the past 10 days about developments regarding ai models
Query using Direct Sources
Below are a variety of sources that provide information on the latest developments in AI, from scientific research to industry applications.
News Outlets and Technology Websites
Wired: Covers tech innovations, including AI advancements, with in-depth articles and interviews.
TechCrunch: Regular updates on AI startups, funding rounds, and new product launches.
MIT Technology Review: Known for high-quality reporting on AI research, ethics, and policy.
The Verge: Frequently features articles on AI’s impact on technology, culture, and industry.
VentureBeat’s AI Channel: Focuses on the business side of AI and emerging AI technology.
AI-Specific Newsletters
Import AI by Jack Clark: A weekly newsletter summarizing major AI developments and research.
The AI Alignment Newsletter: A deep dive into AI safety and alignment research.
DeepLearning.AI: Weekly updates on AI advancements, curated by Andrew Ng’s team.
The Gradient: Provides analysis and insights on current AI research, ethics, and policy.
Research and Academic Sites
arXiv: An open-access repository for research papers, including thousands of AI and machine learning studies.
Google AI Blog: Offers insights and updates on Google’s AI research and product applications.
OpenAI Blog: Regularly publishes research advancements and insights on AI capabilities and ethics.
DeepMind Blog: Focuses on the research and innovations in AI coming from DeepMind’s labs.
Industry and Academic Conferences
NeurIPS (Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems): Annual conference where top research in AI and ML is presented.
ICML (International Conference on Machine Learning): Focuses on new algorithms, theories, and applications in AI and ML.
CVPR (Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition): The go-to conference for AI applications in computer vision.
AAAI (Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence): Covers AI advancements in diverse applications.
YouTube Channels and Podcasts
Two Minute Papers: Short videos explaining recent research papers in AI and ML.
Lex Fridman Podcast: Features interviews with leading AI researchers, engineers, and thinkers.
The TWIML AI Podcast (This Week in Machine Learning & AI): Covers the latest in AI research and real-world applications.
Data Skeptic: Explores machine learning and data science topics, often delving into AI.
Social Media Accounts and Influencers
X (formerly Twitter): Follow accounts like:
OpenAI: https://twitter.com/OpenAI
DeepMind: https://twitter.com/DeepMind
AndrewYNg: https://twitter.com/AndrewYNg
ylecun: https://twitter.com/ylecun
goodfellow_ian: https://twitter.com/goodfellow_ian
LinkedIn: Many AI researchers and industry experts share their work and insights on AI trends and challenges.
Online Communities
Reddit: Communities like the following host discussions on AI research, news, and tools:
Hacker News: A forum for tech and AI news, where users frequently share cutting-edge articles and papers.
Medium (Towards Data Science): Hosts articles from AI practitioners on concepts, tools, and tutorials in AI and machine learning.
Query Using Notification Services
Setting up a notification service for any specific topic can be achieved using various methods. Here’s a guide on some easy and effective ways to do it:
Google Alerts
Visit: https://www.google.com/alerts
Enter keywords: e.g., "AI model updates," "machine learning advancements," "AI news"
Customize alert settings: choose how often you want to receive updates (e.g., "As-it-happens," "At most once a day," or "At most once a week"), and pick the sources and regions relevant to you.
Provide your email address: to receive alerts directly in your inbox.
RSS Feeds
Choose an RSS reader: like Feedly, Inoreader, or NewsBlur (available on mobile and desktop).
Add sources: most news sites and blogs have RSS feeds (look for the RSS icon on their pages).
Create feeds based on keywords: if the RSS reader supports this feature, allowing you to get specific updates on AI and related developments.
Twitter Notifications
Follow key Twitter accounts: look for industry leaders, researchers, and news outlets focused on AI.
Enable notifications: for these accounts by going to their profile, selecting the bell icon, and choosing your notification preference (e.g., "All Tweets" or "Only highlights").
Consider using Twitter Lists: to organize these accounts for easier browsing.
Email Newsletters
Use sites and companies: e.g., OpenAI, DeepMind, AI-specific news outlets, offer free or paid newsletters.
Subscribe: to these newsletters on their websites to receive updates on AI advancements.
IFTTT (If This Then That) Automations
Set up an IFTTT account: on https://ifttt.com/
Create custom applets: to automate notifications for specific triggers (e.g., new AI articles published on popular tech sites or specific subreddits).