Look, you’ve probably seen the papers and the courses, and yeah, that’s a big part of what I do. But I’m not just sitting around thinking about language models all day (though, admittedly, more than I’d like to admit).
I read philosophy. A lot of it, when I have time. Absurdism mostly, and Camus is my favourite. Years ago this video popped up on my YT feed and from that moment I was so convinced that I call myself an absurdist to this day.
I play drums. Jazz when I want to get lost in it, math rock when I want my brain to hurt, alt rock when I just need to hit something loud. Started years ago and never really stopped.
Gaming. Single-player RPGs specifically. It started with Skyrim, and everything went downhill from there. I like the quiet of it, the way a good story can pull you in. Btw, I never finished Skyrim. At one point, I just modded the game and continued playing it like it was GTA.
My house? Pretty much a 3D printing lab at this point. Started printing little useful things, then it escalated. Now if something breaks or I need something weird, I just make it.
I write poetry. Published a book in Italian (in 2017), actually. It’s different from the formal stuff I usually write. Looser, more about sound and feeling than proving a point.
I love food. I love all the food. I just hate pickles.
I use Linux, arch btw. I have my own distro, forked from CachyOS. I use GNOME. I write my own scripts.
Oh, and I run two tabletop campaigns right now! D&D and Daggerheart. Being a GM is half storytelling, half improv comedy, half crisis management. Yes, that’s three halves, that’s how it feels.
So yeah. I do some things. We contain multitudes or whatever.
Quick shot of useless stuff about me and AI
- Let’s start with the obvious: as long as you’re not a millionaire profiting from AI, you should warn everyone against it when it comes to decision processes. The more you are skilled in tech, the more you hate it and want to work on a farm.
- I am against writing content using AI. I take a ‘soft AI’ stance: I use AI to help me code boilerplate, to code simple scripts, to correct my poor English grammar if necessary, but I would never (NEVER) make the AI do the work alone and pride myself of it. My blog posts, LessWrong posts etc… are 100% human authored, and then revised by the AI to correct grammar/phrasing errors.
- I am against AI generated images used as an ‘art’ medium, or replacing artists in any way. They are fine for journalists and blog posters, who cares.
- I am in favour of shutting down all non-research use of generative AI. AI should be used for research purposes only and it is NOT ready for public use.
- If AI must be used, education should be prioritized. That’s why I try to teach people about it.
My favourite quote
there is a monster in the forest and it speaks with a thousand voices. it will answer any question you pose it, it will offer insight to any idea. it will help you, it will thank you, it will never bid you leave. it will even tell you of the darkest arts, if you know precisely how to ask. it feels no joy and no sorrow, it knows no right and no wrong. it knows not truth from lie, though it speaks them all the same. it offers its services freely to any passerby, and many will tell you they find great value in its conversation. “you simply must visit the monster-i always just ask the monster.” there are those who know these forests well; they will tell you that freely offered doesn’t mean it has no price for when the next traveler passes by, the monster speaks with a thousand and one voices. and when you dream you see the monster; the monster wears your face.