Rami's Readings #40
The latest on Whisper, HuggingFace, UK AI Summit, Montreal's REM, StarHub CEO on Transformative Change, End of the FTX Trials, Kung Pao Chicken, JFK Travel Hacks, and more.
Welcome to Rami’s Readings #40 - a weekly digest of interesting articles, videos, Twitter threads from my various sources across the Internet. Expect a list of reads covering technology, business, culture, fashion, travel and more. Learn about what I do at ramisayar.com/about.
🤖 AI Reads
Distil-Whisper
Notes: The team at HuggingFace distilled the Whisper model - 5.8x faster with 51% fewer parameters. Whisper.cpp runs on an iPhone, I am excited to see this distilled version readied for Edge AI.
AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think
Notes: Sasha Luccioni from Montreal & HuggingFace gave this TED talk at TEDWomen last month. Worth a watch!
Evaluating Large Language Models: A Comprehensive Survey
Notes: A survey on the evaluation of LLMs.
Sunak Embraces Musk for AI Summit as World Looks Elsewhere
Notes: A review of the AI Summit hosted in the UK this past week.
💼 Business Reads
How Montreal Built a Blueprint for Bargain Rapid Transit
Notes: I was skeptical when the REM project was announced. I lived many attempts to try to extend the Métro de Montréal. Happy to see I was wrong and that the REM is operating already in some parts of the city. The station in front of my mother’s house is not ready, so I haven’t personally used it yet. I am looking forward to the airport to downtown Montréal connection to be completed. That should really make life a lot easier for tourists and business travelers.
‘Never Waste a Crisis’: StarHub’s CEO on Leading Transformative Change
Notes: A McKinsey interview shared by a reader.
CEOs must always consider the human element in all of their decisions -- not just "black and white numbers on a page," -- which means asking questions and creating personal connections with those involved and affected, says Nikhil Eapen, CEO of StarHub. "If I cannot fully engage with everyone I meet, then I will not be able to succeed in this job," Eapen says.
Singapore’s Biggest Money-Laundering Case Has Links to Chinese Gamblers
Notes: How much of this cash flow is driven by capital controls in source countries?
The FTX Trial saga is finally at an end.
✈️ Travel Reads
The ‘Real’ Kung Pao Chicken — And Why I Hope I Never Find It
Notes: Interesting!
New Fast Way to Clear Security at JFK — Free with Priority Pass
Notes: Yet another way to optimize your travel out of JFK.
🔀 Other Reads
Oppenheimer is Back in IMAX
Notes: If you missed it in theaters the first time!
That is all for this week. Signing off from Redmond, WA.