15 Comments
Aug 20Liked by David Shapiro

I think Only audio version is more convenient than reading a lengthy email ,Keep it up Dave

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Aug 26Liked by David Shapiro

Universal translator will Increase affinity and cultural exchange. Like I may not have elucidated as well in this thread. :) https://x.com/RogerDottin/status/1763267689320001646

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Aug 20Liked by David Shapiro

Imagine a mind more intelligent than a million Einsteins and Teslas put together. Technologies we can't even conceive of weapons we can't even conceive of whoever gets there first is going to establish a One World Government

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Aug 21Liked by David Shapiro

I already use the listen part of this app since I listen to your Substack mostly when I walk my dog do for me both versions work just fine that being text only and or audio only . I’ve been thinking about this more and more recently I find your way of looking at things very interesting and helpful in this journey something I would add is that I don’t think humanity can survive another revolution like we did last time I’m referring to the steam engine it is true that it was overall a good thing but the amour of death and despair that it caused was also incredible so if AI is a new revolution and we approach it from the same perspective as the last one it is definitely not gonna end well for anyone maybe in 50 years sure but in the short term nope never. Anyway hopefully this is interesting food for thought thank you for this recording

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Aug 20Liked by David Shapiro

Dave,

As a dedicated follower of your work, I'm writing to express my enthusiasm for your recent podcast "China vs America in the Age of AI." Your insights are invaluable, and I'm eager to engage with this content. However, as someone with hearing difficulties, I face a significant barrier in accessing audio-only formats.

Consider this: by providing text alternatives, you're not just accommodating those with hearing impairments - you're expanding your reach to a broader audience. Studies show that offering multiple content formats can increase engagement by up to 30%. This aligns with the principle of social proof, as more accessible content tends to attract a larger, more diverse following.

Moreover, text versions allow for easier sharing and referencing, potentially increasing your content's virality and impact. This taps into the scarcity principle - by making your unique insights more readily available, you're increasing their perceived value.

Providing transcripts or written articles demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity, which can significantly enhance your reputation and audience loyalty. This leverages the liking principle, as people are more inclined to support those who show consideration for others.

By taking this small step, you're not only fulfilling a legal and ethical obligation but also positioning yourself as a thought leader who values every member of your audience. This authority can lead to increased influence and credibility in your field.

I hope you'll consider implementing this change. It would mean the world to me and countless others who are eager to engage with your valuable content.

Looking forward to your response and future accessible content!

Bob

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author

Thanks I will see what I can do to ensure accessibility. I do have to optimize around limited help (I do everything myself and I can't afford employees)

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Thank you for your considerate response and willingness to explore accessibility options. I understand the challenges of managing everything on your own, and I appreciate your openness to finding solutions. With that in mind, I'd like to suggest a few potential approaches that might help make your valuable content more accessible without significantly increasing your workload:

1. Collaborative transcription: Consider setting up a volunteer system where interested listeners could help transcribe episodes. Platforms like Amara or DocsTranscribe could facilitate this community-driven solution.

2. Text summaries: Providing detailed text summaries or key points of each episode could be a good compromise, offering text-based access to the main ideas without full transcription.

3. Open-source tools: Given your technical expertise, you might find open-source tools like AutoSubtitle or Whisper useful for generating transcripts efficiently.

4. Occasional outsourcing: For particularly important episodes, freelance transcriptionists from platforms like Upwork or Fiverr could be a cost-effective option.

5. YouTube integration: While not ideal for audio-only content, occasionally creating simple video versions (e.g., static image with audio) for YouTube could leverage its auto-caption feature for select episodes.

Implementing even one of these suggestions would be a significant step towards inclusivity and could potentially help you reach a wider audience. I'm happy to discuss these options further or brainstorm other ideas if you're interested.

Thank you again for considering this important issue. Your content is truly valuable, and making it accessible would mean a great deal to me and others in similar situations.

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author

Hey Bob, did you see that you can click on the Transcript tab? It will automatically do it for me! Is that sufficient for accessibility?

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Thank you for your continued attention to this matter, Dave. I truly appreciate your efforts to make your content more accessible. I've looked for the Transcript tab you mentioned, but I'm unable to find it on your "China vs America in the Age of AI" post.

According to Substack's support articles, the Transcript tab is a feature that needs to be enabled by the author and is only available on the web version, not in the Substack app. It offers additional functionality like timestamps and highlights that follow along with the audio.

I did notice that you manually added a transcript to the post itself, which is incredibly helpful and I'm very grateful for that extra effort. To make it even more accessible, you might consider enabling the built-in Transcript tab feature for future podcast posts. This would provide a more interactive experience for listeners with hearing difficulties.

For more information on how to enable and use this feature, you can refer to these Substack support articles:

- [How can I generate a transcript of an audio post on Substack?](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/18363324028564-How-can-I-generate-a-transcript-of-an-audio-post-on-Substack)

- [Introducing new audio transcription tools for Substack](https://on.substack.com/p/transcription)

I understand that managing all aspects of your content creation is challenging, especially given your recent health concerns. Your willingness to accommodate despite these challenges is truly commendable.

Thank you again for your consideration and for all the valuable content you create across various platforms. Your efforts to make your work accessible are greatly appreciated by myself and undoubtedly many others.

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Thank you for your patience, David. I owe you an apology and an update. After posting my previous comment, I discovered that the Transcript tab is indeed available on your post, but only when accessed through a specific URL (https://daveshap.substack.com/p/china-vs-america-in-the-age-of-ai).

The confusion arose because the view I initially saw (https://substack.com/home/post/p-147903902?source=queue) did not display the Transcript tab. This inconsistency in Substack's user interface led to my misunderstanding.

I've now had the chance to use the Transcript feature and found it extremely helpful in following along with your podcast. The synchronization of text with audio is a great accessibility feature.

This experience has highlighted some user experience issues with Substack. As a Substack author myself, I plan to bring these inconsistencies to their attention, hoping it might lead to improvements for all users.

Thank you again for your efforts in making your content accessible. I apologize for any confusion my previous comments may have caused. Your podcast and its transcript have provided valuable insights, and I look forward to engaging more with your content in the future.

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China made a recent advancement in nuclear. US has been working on similar tech.

https://x.com/RogerDottin/status/1820518129614856354

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Outside of the caucus in Canada, I worry that the US may grossly overestimate the hold that it has on the raw ML talent. Everything is fine and dandy, right now. However, in the face rising tensions, I don't see a world where China doesn't recall its ethnic citizens back home. It may seem implausible, until you think critically about it.

There is an incident that went under the radar in the first AI Overton Window (2011-2014). China was even more behind than they purportedly are now (I do not truly believe that they are not caught up (See Deepseek and 01.AI). Baidu tried to get Andrew Ng. But Google wouldn't let him go. There was a quantum of time -- about a year iirc -- where Andrew ran the Google Brain lab from China, while being in the employment of Baidu. Now I cannot claim enough insight to make any insinuations this way or that. However, you can make a contrast between the pace of AI research prior to Andrew starting the Baidu Research Lab, and after. And such contrasts can be seen in the others from 10cent, Ant Financial and PDD

Now for context, Andrew isn't even from Mainland China and was fully educated here (right from his BS), so you would think his ties and networks would have been limited to here.

Why is this important? Look at the author line, of the top 50 ML papers being churned out. While we're at it. Do the same for Papers in Genetics as well.

With that said, it could be a nothing burger, and ethnically Chinese folks could simply be only that.

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American recalled talent from China, so I see no reason why China wouldn't try the same. But keep in mind that lots of people are trying to escape China already. People don't need to escape America. Guess where those defectors are going to end up?

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Ah fair enough. Can't argue against, that part.

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David, your mention of "Star Trek level universal translators" really resonated with me. As a longtime Star Trek fan and someone with hearing difficulties, this concept has always represented a beacon of hope for improved communication and understanding.

Your vision of AI-powered translation tools aligns perfectly with Star Trek's ideals of fostering understanding between diverse cultures. It's exciting to think that we're on the cusp of making this science fiction concept a reality, potentially breaking down language barriers on a global scale.

As someone with hearing challenges, I'm particularly enthusiastic about the potential of these technologies. I participated in a project at ASU that explored using Google Glass for live captioning of conversations. While not perfect, it hinted at the possibilities of real-time translation and captioning technology.

Building on that experience, I've been imagining a future AI-powered device that could be wetwired into our vision, much like my cochlear implant is essentially wetwired into my cochlea. This device could provide real-time captions and translations as an augmented reality overlay in our field of vision. It would be a game-changer for those of us with hearing impairments, allowing us to seamlessly understand speech and participate in conversations across languages and cultures.

Your optimism about AI's potential to break down language barriers and build cultural affinity is encouraging. By reducing misunderstandings due to language differences or hearing impairments, we might indeed pave the way for greater empathy and cooperation worldwide.

Thank you for this thought-provoking discussion. It's heartening to see how AI might bring us closer to that optimistic Star Trek future we've long dreamed of – a future where communication barriers, whether due to different languages or disabilities, are easily overcome.

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