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Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

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Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#231

This is as impressive as it is scary and creepy. It also tells us something about humans, because it really does feel more engaging having two voices discussing a subject than simple text-to-speech, even though the information density is smaller.

Oral communication is one of the oldest and most powerful inter-human channels (possibly only facial expressions are more primal and powerful) [0]

LLMs have "hacked" this channel, and can participate in a 1:1 conversation with a human (via text chat).

With good text speech, machines can participate in a 1:1 oral conversation with a human.

I'm with you: this is hella scary and creepy.

[0] Walter J Ong: "Orality and Literacy".

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#232

This is really cool, and it got me thinking - is there any missing piece to creating a full AI lecturer based on this? What I'm thinking of is that I'd input a pdf, and the AI will do a bit of preprocessing leading to the creation of learning outcomes, talking points, visual aids and comprehension questions for me; and then once it's ready, will begin to lecture to me about the topic, allowing me to interrupt it at a…

I'm building this at https://reasonote.com/app/login

Sign up and I'll let you in very soon.

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#234
Google launched similar functionality in NotebookLM today. You can generate podcasts from a wide range of sources: https://blog.google/technology/ai/notebooklm-audio-overviews...

Looks like you can generate from Website URLs if you add them as sources to your notebook, as well as Slides, Docs, PDFs etc. Anything NotebookLM supports.

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#235

Google launched similar functionality in NotebookLM today. You can generate podcasts from a wide range of sources: https://blog.google/technology/ai/notebooklm-audio-overviews... Looks like you can generate from Website URLs if you add them as sources to your notebook, as well as Slides, Docs, PDFs etc. Anything NotebookLM supports.

Interesting. Right now Google Illuminate only allows you to generate from PDFs that are on Arvix.org

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#236
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no guarantee that the discussion would be accurate. This stems from how the LLMs work.

There has never been and never will be a discussion that is fully accurate; this stems from how discussions work.

Not true. If the accuracy of human debate had this much room of error all the time when two subject matter experts are talking, we would not have the progress of civilisation that we have now.

Room for error for sure is but at the very frontier of the knowledge where really no one knows what is what. There, yes people can be and have been blatantly wrong.

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#237
post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There has never been and never will be a discussion that is fully accurate; this stems from how discussions work.

Not true. If the accuracy of human debate had this much room of error all the time when two subject matter experts are talking, we would not have the progress of civilisation that we have now. Room for error for sure is but at the very frontier of the knowledge where really no one knows what is what. There, yes people can be and have been blatantly wrong.

First off, why have you moved the goal-posts, expecting LLMs to be not just at human level, but at subject matter expert level?

And second, I would appreciate recommendations of good debates where both sides have a lot to offer and don't fall into errors; we do need more of those.

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#238

This is really cool, and it got me thinking - is there any missing piece to creating a full AI lecturer based on this? What I'm thinking of is that I'd input a pdf, and the AI will do a bit of preprocessing leading to the creation of learning outcomes, talking points, visual aids and comprehension questions for me; and then once it's ready, will begin to lecture to me about the topic, allowing me to interrupt it at a…

I'm building this at https://reasonote.com/app/login Sign up and I'll let you in very soon.

Signed up

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#239
post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true. If the accuracy of human debate had this much room of error all the time when two subject matter experts are talking, we would not have the progress of civilisation that we have now. Room for error for sure is but at the very frontier of the knowledge where really no one knows what is what. There, yes people can be and have been blatantly wrong.

First off, why have you moved the goal-posts, expecting LLMs to be not just at human level, but at subject matter expert level? And second, I would appreciate recommendations of good debates where both sides have a lot to offer and don't fall into errors; we do need more of those.

Because that's basic assumption. I'd want a discussion about academic papers from subject matter experts otherwise reading it aloud alone is not of any value let alone commentary on it with no understanding of it whatsoever.

Re: Google Illuminate: Books and papers turned into audio

#240

This is really cool, and it got me thinking - is there any missing piece to creating a full AI lecturer based on this? What I'm thinking of is that I'd input a pdf, and the AI will do a bit of preprocessing leading to the creation of learning outcomes, talking points, visual aids and comprehension questions for me; and then once it's ready, will begin to lecture to me about the topic, allowing me to interrupt it at a…

I'm building this at https://reasonote.com/app/login Sign up and I'll let you in very soon.

Can i try it as well? I have a college professor buddy of mine as well who loves this kinda stuff and am sure would be happy to be an early tester
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