# 275: Don't Do What the Computer Tells You

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2019-01-25
- Length: 1h 10m
- Episode: 275
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you

## Summary

Janelle Shane, creator of the AI Weirdness blog and author of the upcoming book 'You Look Like a Thing and I Love You', explains how character-level Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) generate surreal and often hilarious outputs like paint colors, ice cream flavors, and cocktails. She details the technical limitations of these models, such as short memory windows and lack of semantic understanding, which lead to nonsensical results like 'raspberry turd' pony names or recipes requiring a blender for 2 hours. Shane also discusses the dangers of algorithmic bias in serious applications, citing Amazon's failed resume screener, and contrasts the limited 'jellyfish-level' intelligence of current AI with the complexity of biological neural networks.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=6) Introduction and Lightning Round
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=279) Generating Paint Colors and Pony Names with RNNs
- [8:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=488) How Character-Level RNNs Work and Memory Limits
- [24:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=1463) Ice Cream Flavors and the Role of Middle Schoolers
- [40:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=2421) BigGAN Image Generation and Counting Errors
- [48:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=2906) AI Bias, Amazon's Resume Screener, and Reality Check
- [58:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-25-275-dont-do-what-the-computer-tells-you#t=3503) Optics, VR for Manta Shrimp, and Book Announcement

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- AI Weirdness (other)
- Sherwin Williams (company)
- TextGen RNN (tool)
- BigGAN (other)
- Amazon (company)
- You Look Like a Thing and I Love You (other)

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- [Shell Game with Evan Ratliff](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-02-12-shell-game-with-evan-ratliff) (Oxide and Friends)
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## Citing this page

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