Hands-On AI (Audio)

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 55 min

HOAI 2: Nine Billion Knobs - What's Actually Inside an AI Model, Explained

What's actually inside an AI model? Mikah Sargent opens up the file from last week's episode and finds tokens, billions of numbers, and one surprisingly simple job: guess the next piece of text. Along the way, he shows why the same question can get a different answer every time, where all those numbers came from, and why a chatbot can sound completely sure of itself and still be wrong. Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On AI at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today!…

Play episodeWhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)Download

Earlier episodes 5 most recent

1. 

   E1 · 1 Oct 2026 · 25 min

   HOAI 1: The Chatbot in Your Laptop - Run AI on Your Own Computer, No Cloud Required

   Your next chatbot doesn't need the cloud. Mikah Sargent installs a free app, downloads an AI model, turns off the Wi-Fi, and keeps right on chatting, all on an ordinary computer. Along the way, he explains how to read a model listing, including what the size and "Q4" labels mean, so you can pick a model that runs well on your own machine. Then the local model goes head-to-head with a cloud assistant to see where it holds up and where it falls short. Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On AI at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Want access to the ad-free audio and video and…

2. 

   28 Sep 2026 · 2 min

   Welcome to Hands-On AI

   Hands-On AI is the show that turns AI confusion into AI confidence. In this introductory episode, Mikah Sargent lays out what the show is and isn't: short, focused episodes — most 10 to 15 minutes — that take one question, one tool, or one technique at a time. Some weeks go under the hood on what a large language model is actually doing. Some weeks get practical: the AI already in your pocket, or a model running entirely on your own computer. And some weeks are honest verdicts on the tools everyone's talking about. This show is a conversation. Send your AI questions to [email protected] or…

3. 

   18 Sep 2026 · 2 min

   HOAI: Hands-On AI Is Getting Into the Good Stuff - Local Models, Open Weights, No Cloud

   Qwen, Muse Glimmer, Ollama, llama.cpp, quantization, mixture-of-experts, RAG, tokens per second. On Hands-On AI , those aren't buzzwords — Mikah Sargent will explain exactly what they mean, then put them to work on hardware you already own. No cloud, no account, no data, leaving your desk. Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On AI at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT…

4. 

   9 Sep 2026 · 1 min

   HOAI: Hands-On AI Cuts Through Hype and Doom - AI Is a Tool. Here's What It Actually Does

   Depending on who you ask, AI is either going to save the world or end it. Mikah Sargent has a different take: it's a tool, and what matters is what you do with it. Every week on Hands-On AI , Mikah tests the tools everyone's talking about and tells you the truth — what's worth your time, what isn't, and what's actually going on under the hood. Hands-On AI launches Thursday, October 1. Subscribe at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On AI at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features?…

5. 

   2 Sep 2026 · 1 min

   HOAI: Introducing Hands-On AI - Everyone Says You Should Use AI. Nobody Says How.

   How many times this week has someone told you that you should be using AI — without ever telling you how? Mikah Sargent introduces Hands-On AI , a new podcast from TWiT.tv with short, focused episodes that explain what these tools actually do, then show you step by step how to put them to work. No buzzwords, no doom. Just practical help from one human to another. Hands-On AI launches Thursday, October 1. Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On AI at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-ai Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT…

More from TWiT

• All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio) TWiT
• All TWiT.tv Shows (Video) TWiT
• Hands-On AI (Video) TWiT
• Hands-On Apple (Video) TWiT
• Hands-On Photography (Video) TWiT
• Hands-On Tech (Audio) TWiT

More English tech & science

• "Lecture-casts"- A Lecture Series on General Chemistry D.J. Ferguson
• "The Cognitive Revolution" Erik Torenberg, Nathan Labenz
• #Railnatter Gareth Dennis
• 'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World Antoine Walter
• .NET Rocks! Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell