IT HootClub — AI Community NewsletterHands-on. Career-focused. Future-ready.
Issued 2025-12-20
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The Learning LoopDEFINITION Neural Network
A Neural Network is a computer system modeled after the human brain, composed of interconnected nodes (neurons) that process and transmit information. These networks "learn" by adjusting the strength (weights) of these connections based on the data they're exposed to.
Source: Simplified Explanation (inspired by research papers)
TIP Chain-of-Thought Prompting
Break down complex problems into smaller, sequential steps when prompting AI models. Explicitly ask the AI to "think step-by-step" to improve accuracy and reasoning.
Source: Chain-of-Thought paper (slightly modified)
TOOL Synthesia
An AI video creation platform that lets you create videos from text using AI avatars.
Last week I ended with indicating that it is time to begin interacting with an AI model in order to at least begin the automation process of creating the newsletter. But wait! Haven't I been interacting with an AI model? Yes, I have been using the LLM chatbots for guidance and coding hacks to create the newsletter format and content that I want. However, these chatbots, as mentioned before are not fully utilizing AI models for automation and, more importantly, content creation. These AI chatbot models do not have the long term memory capability to access previous data for reference and forward learning. I would be a long way from training any kind of AI model on the content of my newsletter. Taking the leap from using the various ChatBot interfaces was intimidating and essentially unknown to me. I did not understand how to interact with AI models outside of the online interfaces. After some online research I learned that my choices were downloading an AI model onto my own computer software or utilizing the online ChatBots, but not directly through the online interfaces. Since utilzing the online Chatbot interfaces sounded like it would cost money, I wanted to understand how to do this at the most basic level with my own hardware/software. I did not realize how naive this thought process was, for various reasons. My online research had pointed me to utilzing Ollama, the resource for downloading Meta's Llama 3 open sourced AI model. Downloading the model onto my laptop was not difficult at all and it did not use up a lot of computer resources. However, what I soon found out is that my simple laptop did not have near enough computing power to handle such a task on its own. While the Llama 3 model did generate my AI Newsletter, it did not follow the code constraints at all. This is not because the model was deficient, but more so because my laptop resources were not sophisticated enough for the model to utilize all of its capabilities. I would need to explore utilizing the online Chatbot versions. I was not sure about this process, or what the cost would be. Tune in next week to see what I found out.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
— Charles Darwin — Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist. He is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. His proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors is now widely accepted, and considered a foundational concept in science.Event 12/30/2025,11:00 AM- 12:00 PM" Webinar What's Next: The AI Trends Shaping 2026"
Online — Drawing on his unique perspective from leading one of the world’s top AI conferences and investing in the most promising AI startups, Sheamus will provide a tactical roadmap for where the real value—and the next competitive advantage—will emerge.
Source: nan
Event 01/13/2026 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
From Vibe Coding to Production AI Coding in VS Code — 13600 Bishops Ct. Ste. 250 Brookfield, WI
We will tour the lates AI-powered capabilities in VS Code
Event 01/14/2026 2:00 PM- 6:00 PM
Wisconsin Technology Association 2026 Tech Trends — Brookfield Conference Center 325 S. Moorland Rd, Brookfield, WI
In this highly anticipated event, we’ll dive into Deloitte’s flagship report on the emerging technologies shaping businesses’ strategic initiatives in 2026. We’ll separate the tech hype from genuine business impact and discuss how technology fuels new capabilities and competitive advantage. Join us for a panel discussion, followed by happy hour and networking with other tech enthusiasts.
News 2025-12-20 — TechCrunch
OpenAI allows users to directly adjust ChatGPT’s enthusiasm level
ChatGPT users now have the ability to customize the chatbot's personality by tweaking its warmth, enthusiasm, and emoji usage. This update allows for a more tailored and personalized interaction with the AI.
read moreNews 2025-12-19 — TechCrunch
Yann LeCun confirms his new ‘world model’ startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation
Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun has confirmed the launch of his new startup focused on "world model" AI, though he won't be serving as CEO. The company is reportedly seeking a valuation of over $5 billion.
read moreNews 2025-12-19 — VentureBeat
Gemini 3 Flash arrives with reduced costs and latency — a powerful combo for enterprises
Google has launched Gemini 3 Flash, a new large language model that offers performance close to Gemini 3 Pro but at a lower cost and with improved speed. This model is aimed at providing enterprises with a more efficient and accessible AI solution.
read moreThis newsletter was assembled with an AI-assisted workflow prototype for internal preview.
