Strawberries by the Box

The sun hung high over Brighton Beach, its rays dancing off the gentle waves that lapped against the shore. The iconic beach boxes stood proudly along the coastline, their vibrant colours a tapestry against the golden sands. Tourists meandered along the water's edge, their laughter and chatter blending with the rhythmic hum of the sea.?

Dr Pete settled into his favourite deck chair outside their beach box, the familiar creak of the wood bringing a smile to his face. His silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, but it was his eyes - sharp and full of life - that hinted at the vast reservoir of knowledge and experience he carried. Beside him, Ethan and Brody were engaged in a lighthearted debate over the best local spot for fish and chips.?

A sudden commotion disrupted the tranquil afternoon. A group of children nearby had erupted into a playful scuffle, hurling strawberries at each other with gleeful abandon. One particularly ripe berry soared through the air, landing squarely on Dr Pete's shoulder with a soft splat.??

Ethan burst into laughter. "Looks like you've been caught in the crossfire, Dad!"?

Dr Pete glanced at the red stain on his shirt and chuckled. "Well, that's one way to get your daily serving of fruit."?

Brody grinned, wiping a stray strawberry off his own arm. "It's a strawberry skirmish out here."?

As the children's laughter faded into the background, Dr Pete's gaze drifted toward the horizon. The sight of the strawberries triggered a cascade of memories - a time when "Strawberry" was more than just a fruit; it was a groundbreaking project that marked a pivotal moment towards the evolution towards artificial general intelligence (AGI).???

"You know," Dr Pete began softly, "seeing those kids reminds me of Project Strawberry."?

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Project Strawberry? Can't say I've heard of that one."?

Brody leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "Wasn't that the codename for one of the early GenAI developments? Q-STaR or something like that..."?

Dr Pete nodded, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips. "Exactly. It was a time when we were experimenting with models that could 'think' step by step, much like how a human solves a complex problem. The secret Q-STaR project got abbreviated to STrAwbeRry once it was leaked to the public, and it evolved from what was known as the 'Self-TAught Reasoner' or STaR. We were working on getting AI to go beyond just spitting out answers; we wanted it to reason through problems iteratively. STaR was groundbreaking because it allowed the model to learn from its own generated reasoning. If the AI made a mistake, it would try again, generate a new rationale, and fine-tune itself until it could solve more complex reasoning tasks. It was the closest we'd come to teaching a machine to think in steps, refining its logic just like a human would do. You know, that inner self talk and reasoning we all do inside our head".?

Ethan settled back in his chair. "Sounds like the early days of chain-of-thought reasoning in AI to me."?

"Precisely," Dr Pete said. "We realized that to make AI truly intelligent, it needed to process information more like we do - not just spitting out answers but reasoning through them. Project Strawberry was our attempt to fine-tune models to include this kind of step-by-step thinking. The think before you speak situation? – you guys know it."?

Brody's eyes sparkled with interest. "But wasn't that concept already around? I mean, the research and open-source communities were exploring tree and chain-of-thought reasoning even before that."?

"True," Dr Pete acknowledged. "The idea wasn't entirely new, but what set Strawberry apart was how we approached it. We started using models to bootstrap each other. The outputs from one generation would become the training data for the next, creating a self-improving cycle."?

Brody leaned back, folding his arms. "So the instruct models were essentially early GPT, but fine-tuned to be more responsive to specific commands?"?

"Yes," Dr Pete affirmed. "They were better at interpreting directives without extensive prompt engineering. But we didn't stop there. The instruct models then helped us create chat models. We used them to generate conversational datasets, simulating dialogues between users and AI assistants."?

Ethan's expression brightened. "That's when chatbots like ChatGPT came into play. They could engage in more natural, context-aware conversations."?

"Exactly," Dr Pete said with a smile. "But the real breakthrough came when we started focusing on chain-of-thought reasoning chats. We realised that for AI to handle more complex tasks - like solving intricate problems or providing detailed explanations - it needed to think step by step, much like we do."?

Brody nodded enthusiastically. "So you trained models to include their reasoning processes in their responses? Like the inner reasoning in your head along with the chat conversations?"?

"Correct," Dr Pete replied. "We fine-tuned the chat models using datasets that included these step-by-step thought processes in the training data. This allowed the AI to 'show its work' and be re-trained so to speak.? We even tried to hide the inner-conversations the AI was having with itself in the user interfaces as this was the secret sauce for training next generation models. Kind of cool to look at but most people didn’t care."

Dr Pete paused for a moment adding, "We started by figuring out how to predict the next word, then how to predict the next sentence, the next?response to a question, follow instructions, carry on a conversation, moved from zero-shot to multi-shot-self-reasoning and on it went - what a ride! Standing on the shoulders of past models in the process."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. "Kind of like how in basketball, a good coach doesn't just teach you plays but helps you understand the game on a deeper level. My coach used to break down every move, every decision, every option, so I could anticipate and adapt on the court."?

"That's a great analogy," Dr Pete said, his eyes meeting Ethan's. "Your coach was helping you build a mental model of the game, allowing you to think several steps ahead and in multiple dimensions. In the same way, we were teaching AI models to develop their own reasoning processes."?

Brody leaned back, folding his arms. "But didn't that make the models incredibly complex and expensive to run?"?

Dr Pete sighed, recalling the challenges. "It did. The computational costs were astronomical at first. We had models that were a hundred times more expensive to operate, with only marginal improvements in performance. It forced us to rethink our approach."?

Ethan glanced at the tourists snapping selfies by the water. "Sounds like the tech industry's version of tourists chasing the next big experience without considering the cost, be it financial or even environmental."?

Dr Pete chuckled. "In a way, yes. Everyone was so eager to build bigger and more sophisticated models that we overlooked efficiency. It wasn't until we started focusing on multi-agent frameworks that we found a solution. Instead of one monolithic model, we used several smaller ones working together, much like a well-coordinated basketball team."?

Brody snapped his fingers. "Right! By distributing the tasks among specialised players, ummm... I mean models, we achieved better results faster and cheaper."?

"Exactly," Dr Pete affirmed. "And this approach also allowed for models to train newer models. Each model specialised in a particular aspect - language understanding, reasoning, perception - and their outputs would become the training data for the next generation of models."?

Ethan smiled. "So, it's like how senior players mentor rookies. The knowledge and experience get passed down, making the whole team stronger over time."?

"That's the essence of it," Dr Pete said warmly. "We created a bootstrapping effect, where each model generation enhanced the capabilities of the next. It led to rapid advancements without the need for exponentially more data or computational power.? I used to call this ‘Pay It Forward’ for team onboarding when building my high performing Solution Architect teams at Amazon - it works brilliantly for building great teams!"?

Brody gazed out at the sea, his mind whirring. "It's fascinating to think how far we've come. From basic language models to ones that can reason, learn, and even teach each other."?

Dr Pete's expression grew contemplative. "It also made me reflect on how, in many ways, humans are a form of wetware and intelligence. We're born with certain programming - instincts and reflexes - but over time, we learn, adapt, and improve by interacting with others and our environment."?

Ethan nodded. "And just like models bootstrapping each other, we rely on mentorship, education, and shared experiences to evolve. No wonder we are a herd animal – there is reason to biological madness."?

"Precisely," Dr Pete said. "It's a reminder that technology often mirrors nature. The way AI models have evolved is not so different from how we, as humans, develop and grow."?

A sudden cheer erupted from a group of tourists as the sun began its descent, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange. The trio watched as the beach transformed under the twilight, the energy shifting from the day's excitement to the evening's calm.?

"You know," Brody began, breaking the silence, "the kids with the strawberries - they were learning from each other too. One throws a strawberry, and the others quickly pick up on the game. It's a simple form of bootstrapping."?

Dr Pete laughed. "Hopefully they won't start a revolution of strawberry fights all along the beach."?

Ethan grinned. "Well, if they do, maybe it'll lead to the next big innovation. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all."?

"Or at least inspire better stain resistant clothing," Brody added with a chuckle.?

Dr Pete looked at his sons, a deep sense of contentment settling over him. "I'm glad we can have these conversations. It gives me hope for the future knowing that you're both thinking about these things - the evolution of technology, its impact on humanity, and how we can shape it more responsibly."?

?"Absolutely," Brody agreed. "And who knows? Maybe we'll be the ones to usher in the next era of what comes after AI, building on the foundations."?

Dr Pete smiled, his eyes reflecting the fading light of the sunset. "I have no doubt you will. Just remember to watch your step on the way back - we wouldn't want to slip on any leftover strawberries."?

They all laughed, the sound carrying softly on the evening breeze. The world around them was ever-changing, much like the tides that ebbed and flowed at their feet. But in moments like this - shared between father and sons - they found a constant, a touchstone that anchored them amidst the waves of progress.?

As the first stars began to twinkle overhead, Dr Pete stood up and stretched. "Shall we head back? Your mother is expecting fish and chips for dinner soon, and I don't want to keep her waiting."?

Ethan and Brody rose to join him, carefully navigating around the scattered strawberries left on the sand.?

"Race you back to the house via my favourite fish and chip shop?" Ethan challenged, a playful glint in his eye.??

Brody smirked. "You're on. But let's dodge the strawberries this time - I don't need any stains on my shoes."?