AI Morning: Hands-On with AI

An immersive 3-hour "Hands-On AI Morning" designed to dive deep into the practical applications of cutting-edge AI technologies. This dynamic session is perfect for anyone eager to gain hands-on experience and solidify their understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and Agentic AI. Get ready to build, learn, and innovate in a collaborative environment!

The event kicks off with a focused 90-minute lab session where you'll get directly involved in the fascinating process of fine-tuning an LLM using Synthetic Data Generation and InstructLab. This hands-on experience will provide invaluable insights into how data shapes model performance and enables customization for specific tasks.

Following a short break, the second 90-minute session will transition into exploring comprehensive Python based Jupyter notebooks. Here, you'll discover the power of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance LLM responses with external knowledge, and explore the exciting realm of Agentic AI, understanding how autonomous agents can be designed to perform complex tasks and interact with Model Context Protocol Servers (MCP).

We’ll make this highly interactive and can contrast and compare, especially the topics of when to Fine-Tune and when to use RAG - or both. In addition, the Agentic part will show how new tooling enhances Context and how Context Engineering is the new hotness - this month at least!

Resources

• InstructLab (Open Source Project for Fine-Tuning and Synthetic Data Generation)
• Lab 1 Preview - InstructLab
• Lab 2 Preview - AI Applications and Llama Stack: A practical workshop

Schedule & Format

Join us for a morning, hands-on workshop style event. We'll provide food for body and brain.

Investment & Accessibility

The suggested contribution is 16 USD to support SFS. We want these sessions accessible to everyone, so please email pwyc@sofree.us if cost is a barrier.

Important: Bring a machine with a Linux or unix OS. If you only have Windows, create a VM.

Expert-led, live, in-person Spec Coding workshop

• Format: Live in-person at Rule4 in Boulder

Payment Options

• Pay What We Ask: $16.00 USD via https://paypal.me/sfs303/16 (include "AI Morning" in comments)
• Pay What You Choose: pwyc@sofree.us

Rally Track
"'Giorgio by Moroder' by Daft Punk"