Robert Polding's Home

Artificial Intelligence, Business

Chaos at OpenAI

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my latest article, which delves into the significant changes at OpenAI. The piece examines the events leading to Sam Altman’s dismissal, the shift from open-source advocacy to a profit-driven approach, and the impact of Microsoft’s investment. It discusses the ideological clash within OpenAI, highlighting how commercial interests have…
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Artificial Intelligence

Meet my GPT

As part of my research, I’ve been working a lot on developing custom chatbots. I’ve developed a new chatbot that is trained on my class textbooks and my personal information, and I’m at a stage when I’m ready to unleash it to the public! The ability to easily create GPTs is one of the best…
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Artificial Intelligence

How LLMs Became the Cornerstone of Modern AI

Large language models have evolved from their origins in neuroscience to become sophisticated AI architectures. In this article, I explain how these advancements were made and analyze what these models mean for the world of education. Please go to IE Insights to read the article: https://www.ie.edu/insights/articles/how-llms-became-the-cornerstone-of-modern-ai/
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Web3

Journeying into the Metaverse

Is the Metaverse just a video game? Is it all just hype? No matter what your opinion is on this fascinating new technology, there seems to be no stopping the hype engine. The dean of my university has made the following video, which explains the technology really well: The Metaverse is a topic that seems…
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Web3

Blockchain without destroying the planet

Yesterday there was some great news. Ethereum is switching from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake. This means it will use 99% less power. My most significant criticism of blockchain has always been that it is a liability to the planet. It produces as many emissions as Vietnam right now, and there are coal-fired…
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Education, Uncategorized

Back to normal university life

This week saw the return of university life that reflected the pre-pandemic times. Two thousand new students started at my institution, and there were no more restrictions, and it was great to see. The whole learning experience has been poor for students since the introduction of online learning. While it looks promising on the tin,…
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Programming

My Programming Journey

A personal insight into my journey as a coder, entrepreneur and professor. Introduction My life has been full of technology. From the first moment I experienced a coin operated arcade, I was taken aback by the wonder and amazement of the progress we were making technologically. When I was born, in the late 1970s, there…
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Security

How worried do we need to be about encryption?

There is a lot of debate right now about the importance of encryption. I’ve seen the dark side of not using encryption on a network when a hacker highjacked my email credentials in the early days for WiFi and my PayPal account hacked (and yes, I did have some money taken from my account, but…
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Biotechnology

How Biotechnology will change our future

Biotechnology is not a new form of technology. We started manipulating nature when we first created alcohol and vinegar. Modern biotechnology comes from research into recombinant DNA in the early 1970s. This involved manipulating and changing DNA to have new and enhanced properties. We are already seeing more people gaining access to food and new…
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Artificial Intelligence

How Artificial Intelligence will drive change

One topic that my students are interested in and terrified of at the same time is the effect that Artificial Intelligence will have on their future, both in their personal and professional lives. They are concerned that the degrees they are studying will not lead to jobs as AI begins to master new abilities. Systems…
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