Jul 24 2024 24 mins
In the inaugural episode of Exaloop Edge, Pete Wright and Exaloop founder Ariya Shajii explore the growing influence of Python programming in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science.
Python, known for its simplicity and readability, has become the go-to choice for many professionals due to its ease of use and vast ecosystem of libraries. Shajii shares his journey from Java and C++ to Python, and how it inspired him to found Exaloop to address the language's limitations in performance and scalability.
Throughout the episode, Wright and Shajii discuss the advantages and challenges of using Python in AI and machine learning, including its role in developing large language models (LLMs) and the creative solutions engineers employ to overcome performance constraints. Shajii also shares insights from his PhD work at MIT, where he worked with massive genomic datasets using Python, laying the foundation for Exaloop's mission to empower data scientists and engineers.
The conversation touches on Python compilation techniques and how Exaloop's ground-up approach allows for greater flexibility in multi-threading, GPU acceleration, and bypassing limitations like the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL).
As the episode concludes, Shajii offers advice to aspiring data scientists and engineers, emphasizing the importance of leveraging Python's supportive community and the wealth of open-source projects available.