#fine-tuning
47 episodes
#2693: Format Adherence in AI: Beyond the Benchmarks
Why your AI ignores formatting instructions and how to fix it with pipeline architecture, not model swaps.
#2664: Can You Trust an LLM's Raw Knowledge?
Why pre-trained knowledge isn't reliable for facts — and what actually makes models useful.
#2650: How to Catch an LLM's Bad Writing Habits
A practical guide to analyzing podcast transcripts for repetitive language and dialogue patterns — from Python word counts to embedding clustering.
#2517: How Unsloth Makes LLM Fine-Tuning 2x Faster
Unsloth cuts memory usage by 50-70% and speeds up training 2.2x for models like Llama 3 and Mistral.
#2516: How to Actually Diagnose and Fix Overfitting
Overfitting isn't binary. Learn the real triggers, the bias-variance tradeoff, and modern techniques to prevent it.
#2495: How to Bake Personality Into an LLM in 15 Minutes
Fine-tune a model's personality with ~300 examples and a consumer GPU. SFT + DPO explained.
#2470: Small Model vs Big Model for Prompt Enhancement
When should you fine-tune a tiny model for prompt enhancement instead of prompting a large one? The answer depends on latency, precision, and domain.
#2426: Why DeepSeek V4's Prose Feels More Vivid Than Claude or GPT
A million-token context window at 2% the KV-cache cost — and prose that actually breathes. Here's what makes V4 different.
#2334: How AI Flattens Your Voice in Emails
Why AI-generated emails feel impersonal and how to reclaim your authentic voice in professional communication.
#2316: Who’s Building AI’s Next Training Data?
How boutique dataset firms are reshaping AI training, from rights-cleared content to domain-specific precision.
#2315: How to Update AI Models Without Starting Over
Exploring the challenge of updating AI models with new knowledge without costly full retraining.
#2307: Inside Frontier LLM Training: Stages, Costs, and Checkpoints
Discover the multi-stage process of training frontier large language models, from pretraining to post-training, and why checkpoints are the key to ...
#2196: The Annotation Economy: Who Labels AI's Training Data
Annotation is the invisible foundation of AI—and a $17B industry by 2030. Here's what dataset curators actually need to know about the tools, platf...
#2187: Why Claude Writes Like a Person (and Gemini Doesn't)
Claude produces prose that sounds human. Gemini reads like Wikipedia. The difference isn't capability—it's how they were trained to think about wri...
#2177: Skip Fine-Tuning: Shape LLMs With Alignment Alone
Can you build a personalized LLM by skipping traditional fine-tuning and using only post-training alignment methods like DPO and GRPO? We break dow...
#2067: MoE vs. Dense: The VRAM Nightmare
MoE models promise giant brains on a budget, but why are engineers fleeing back to dense transformers? The answer is memory.
#1907: Why We Still Fine-Tune in 2026
Despite million-token context windows, fine-tuning remains essential. Here’s why behavior, not just facts, matters.
#1856: Two AIs Chatting Forever: Why They Go Crazy
What happens when two ChatGPT instances talk forever? They hit a politeness loop, forget their purpose, and spiral into gibberish.
#1839: AI's Data Kitchen: From Hoovering to Fine-Tuning
We go behind the curtain of the AI data pipeline, revealing the messy, multi-billion-dollar war over data curation.
#1702: Roleplay Models Aren't Just for NSFW—They're Creative Co-Processors
Forget GPT-4 for scripts—specialized roleplay models like Aion-2.0 are better at character consistency and dialogue.
#1700: Can LLMs Learn Continuously Without Forgetting?
We explore a new approach: micro-training updates every few days to keep AI knowledge fresh without constant web searches.
#1609: IBM Granite 4.0: The Industrial Workhorse of Business AI
Forget flashy chatbots. Discover how IBM is building high-efficiency, industrial-grade AI models designed to run the world's biggest businesses.
#1559: Dark Knowledge: The Art of AI Model Distillation
Discover how model distillation transfers "dark knowledge" from massive AI giants into tiny, efficient models that live in your pocket.
#1066: Beyond the Blank Slate: The Evolution of AI Training
Explore the "weight surgery" techniques labs use to expand AI models without losing their core knowledge or starting from zero.
#869: Why Tiny Digital Savants Are Outperforming God-Models
Are massive AI models hitting a wall? Discover why the future belongs to lean, domain-specific "digital savants" and vertical pre-training.
#839: Beyond Stimulants: Fine-Tuning the ADHD Brain
Discover how blood pressure meds like Guanfacine are revolutionizing ADHD treatment by "plugging the leaks" in the prefrontal cortex.
#798: Beyond the Button: How AI Learns From Your Feedback
Ever wonder if your AI feedback actually matters? Discover how ratings shape global models and the privacy tech keeping your data safe.
#702: Why a Fake Job Interview Could Steal Your Face
Could a 30-second clip of your voice be used to steal your identity? Explore the terrifying reality of digital twins and LoRA.
#551: The LoRA Revolution: Training AI for Personal Perspective
Discover how to train LoRAs for character consistency and unique locations while avoiding common pitfalls like over-fitting and dataset bias.
#469: From Pixels to Splats: Mastering 3D AI Character Consistency
Discover how Gaussian Splatting and 3D-to-video pipelines are revolutionizing character consistency in the age of generative AI.
#86: The Price of Politeness: Should AI Guardrails Stay?
Herman and Corn debate the hidden costs of AI safety layers and what happens when we strip away the "corporate HR" personality of LLMs.
#72: AI's Hidden Cultural Code: East vs. West
Do AIs think differently East vs. West? Uncover the hidden cultural code embedded in large language models.
#62: System Prompts vs Fine-Tuning: When to Actually Train Your AI
Prompt or fine-tune? We break down when to train your AI, from Shakespearean emails to law firm docs. Avoid unnecessary fine-tuning!
#56: Building an AI Model from Scratch: The Hidden Costs
Building an AI model from scratch? It's a brutal reality of trillions of tokens and millions in GPUs. Discover the hidden costs of modern AI.
#52: System Prompts vs. Fine-Tuning: Are We Building Solutions for Problems That Don't Exist?
Are we over-engineering AI solutions? We dive into system prompts vs. fine-tuning and ask: Do you even need to fine-tune?
#42: AI's Secret: Decoding the .5 Updates
Uncover the hidden world of AI's .5 updates. It's not just bug fixes—it's hundreds of millions and countless hours shaping smarter, safer AI.
#28: Your AI, Evolving: Beyond the Static Snapshot
Is your AI an "old suit" that no longer fits? We explore evolving AI that learns and adapts with you.
#26: Personalizing Whisper: The Voice Typing Revolution
Voice typing is changing everything. Join us as we explore the revolution of personalizing Whisper!
#20: Architectural AI: Precision with ControlNet & ComfyUI
From hobbyist AI to high-stakes professional applications: architectural AI with ControlNet & ComfyUI.
#21: Is Your AI Secretly American?
Ever wonder if your AI is secretly American? We're unpacking the invisible, US-centric worldview embedded in leading Western AI models.
#15: AI Gets Personal: The Power of Voice Fine-Tuning
AI that understands *your* voice? Dive into the fascinating world of fine-tuning and discover how AI gets personal.
#12: The AI Breakthrough: Transformers & The Perfect Storm
AI's everywhere. How did chatbots, art, and video all emerge so suddenly? The secret lies in Transformers and a perfect storm.
#9: Benchmarking Custom ASR Tools - Beyond The WER
Benchmarking custom ASR fine-tunes: We're diving deep beyond the WER to truly measure performance.
#5: Fine-Tuning ASR For Maximal Usability
Fine-tuned ASR is just the start. Discover the next steps for deployment and maximizing usability.
#11: How Does Fine Tuning Work Anyway?
Unlock the secrets of AI fine-tuning. Discover how your small dataset can shape a giant model.
#6: How To Fine Tune Whisper
Build your own AI transcription tool! We'll walk you through fine-tuning Whisper, from data to notebook.
#4: If Your Voice Ages, Does Your Fine-Tune Become Useless?
Your voice changes, but your fine-tuned model shouldn't become useless. We explore the biology of the larynx and ASR.