Monday, June 09, 2025

GenAI to summarize videos - Gemini Helps You Learn Faster


In an age of information overload, many of us are turning to platforms like YouTube for quick tutorials, in-depth explanations, and even culinary inspiration. Need to master a new software? Fix a leaky faucet? Or perhaps bake the perfect batch of cupcakes for a weekend treat? A quick search on YouTube and you're presented with a plethora of video guides.

However, this convenience comes with a trade-off. The trend of creating video content, or "vlogging," has, in some cases, replaced the art of the well-written blog post. We've all encountered them: lengthy videos that painstakingly detail simple instructions, sometimes with nothing more than a creator typing into a Notepad window. What could have been a concise, skimmable article is now a three-hour video commitment.

This is where the power of artificial intelligence, specifically multi-modal generative AI, comes into play. We are already witnessing the prowess of Large Language Models (LLMs) in summarizing extensive written content, from dense research papers to entire books. The next frontier is applying this capability to various forms of media, including images, audio, and video.

Enter Google Gemini, a sophisticated multi-modal AI that seamlessly works with text, images, and audio. A YouTube video is a prime example of multi-modal content, combining a visual track with an audio narrative. Instead of dedicating hours to watching a video, fast-forwarding through tangents, or scrolling through comments for key takeaways, you can now leverage Gemini to do the heavy lifting.

Imagine this: you feed a YouTube video to Gemini and, in return, receive a concise summary, a list of key insights, and even actionable steps. This allows you to quickly extract the valuable information you need without the significant time investment.

To try this for yourself, you can use a prompt like the one below:

"Summarize the following video, provide three key takeaways, and suggest three calls to action for me: @youtube [insert video link here]"

By using the "@youtube" command, you're specifically instructing Gemini to process the video content from the provided link. This simple yet powerful tool can revolutionize the way you consume and learn from online video content, making it a more efficient and focused experience.

Sunday, May 11, 2025

AI is evolving and we must with it

The field of technology is characterized by ongoing development, and the current advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are bringing about notable changes. For technical professionals, including data scientists, simulation specialists, and software engineers, staying informed about these trends is essential not only for personal and career development, but also to anticipate and creating effective solutions to existing and more importantly novel problems.

Recently, I came across a great talk of Bret Taylor co-founder of Sierra (been with key role at Google, CTO of FB), called "How AI is reinventing Software Business Models" - a clear recommendation.

In this video Bret talks about Key trends and what this implies for how enterprises engage with customers, the implications for software and the crafts- and salesmen thereof. Below, I will briefly discuss these.

Key Developments in the Application of AI

The way AI is being integrated into business processes and product offerings is evolving. Here are some significant points:

  1. The Growth of AI Agents: We are observing a trend where AI agents are increasingly being used as a primary interface for business interactions, supplementing or sometimes replacing traditional websites and apps.1 This suggests a growing area for technical contribution in the development and maintenance of these agent-based systems.
  2. Understanding AI Market Segments: The AI market appears to be forming into a few key areas:
    • Foundation Models: These large-scale models are likely to see continued development and potential consolidation among providers. 2
    • Tooling: The ecosystem of tools and platforms that support AI development remains an active area for innovation.3
    • Applied AI: This involves creating AI solutions for specific business problems.4 It's increasingly being viewed as a form of Software as a Service (SaaS), with a focus on delivering specific outcomes.
  3. Shift Towards Outcome-Oriented Solutions: In Applied AI, there's a noticeable movement from providing tools that enhance productivity to delivering solutions that achieve measurable outcomes. This may influence how projects are scoped, valued, and how success is defined.
  4. Business Model Adaptation: Newer companies may find it easier to adopt AI-centric business models, while more established organizations might need to navigate a period of adaptation. This highlights the importance of flexibility in our approaches.
  5. Emphasis on Core Strengths and Specialization:
    • There's a general recommendation for organizations to concentrate on their primary areas of expertise when integrating AI.
    • In applied AI, developing solutions for specific industry verticals can be effective due to the distinct needs of different sectors.5 This suggests that a combination of domain knowledge and technical skill remains valuable.
  6. The Role of Partnership and Customer Insight: For AI solutions to be successfully adopted, especially within established companies, a collaborative approach that includes a thorough understanding of customer needs and existing processes is beneficial.6 Familiarity with how organizations make decisions regarding technology adoption is also helpful.

Cultivating Our Technical Skills: Three Consistent Practices

So what should we do. Firstly, look at the broader trends in AI and your industry. Not every weekly model update is significant but seeing broader shifts in either model capability, system architecture, data efficiency, or user experience is critical.

Alongside understanding these broader trends, consistent personal development practices are valuable for technical professionals:

  1. Allocate Time for Broader Learning: It's useful to regularly read beyond immediate project needs, exploring tech publications, industry analyses, and relevant research. This practice can help in understanding the context of new tools and methodologies and may provide new perspectives for current work.
  2. Develop a Professional Online Presence: Maintaining an updated profile on professional networking sites like LinkedIn, or optionally sharing insights through a blog or contributions to projects, can be a way to engage with the technical community and share knowledge.7 It provides a platform to articulate your understanding and learn from others.
  3. Practice Effective Task Prioritization: The number of available tools, information streams, and project requirements can be considerable. Using systematic methods to prioritize tasks helps in managing workload and focusing efforts on areas that are most impactful for a given project or learning goal.8

Which are your personal practices, rituals, recommendations and pieces of advise that you use to navigate this dynamic field effectively?