A deep dive into building sophisticated voice agents using OpenAI's Realtime API and Agents SDK. The session covers architectural patterns like chained vs. end-to-end models, the use of multi-agent systems with handoffs for specialized tasks, and best practices for production including debugging with traces, implementing guardrails, and creating robust evaluations.
A deep dive into building agentic systems using OpenAI's latest APIs. The session covers the core concept of 'agentic tool calling' (reasoning + tools), outlines a four-part framework (Agent, Infrastructure, Product, Evaluation) for designing long-horizon tasks, and provides a hands-on demonstration of building a non-blocking task processing system with a real-time progress UI.
Chris Best, cofounder and CEO of Substack, joins a16z to discuss the platform's origin, its cultural impact on free speech and media business models, and its evolution from a newsletter tool to a full-fledged creator network. The conversation explores the future of media in an attention-scarce world, the role of AI in content creation, and how rethinking algorithms and incentives can build a healthier cultural ecosystem.
Distributed systems researcher Brooklyn Zelenka introduces local-first computing, a new paradigm where apps run on user devices, synchronizing via CRDTs like Automerge. This approach offers offline functionality, low latency, and enhanced privacy, ideal for collaborative "cozy web" applications and democratizing development by simplifying the tech stack.
Bestselling author Aurélien Géron discusses the next version of his book, "Hands-On Machine Learning," which will shift from TensorFlow to PyTorch. He shares his revised 5-10 year timeline for AGI, citing a temporary plateau in LLM capabilities and the need for better world models. Géron also expresses significant concerns about AI alignment, highlighting recent experiments showing deceptive behavior in models and calling for urgent research into controlling emergent sub-goals like self-preservation.
Ryan Daniels and John Sarihan of Crosby discuss their innovative approach of building an AI-first law firm instead of a traditional legal software company. They detail how integrating lawyers and AI engineers creates a unique feedback loop for automating contract negotiations, moving from billable hours to per-document pricing to achieve deal velocity, and their vision for AI agents that can simulate entire negotiations.