Vince Lam

Vince Lam

Data Science & AI Engineering

Vince Lam

I’m a data scientist with experience in delivering business impact by deploying machine learning models, applying data analysis, communicating actionable insights to stakeholders, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. I have a passion for AutoML, natural language processing, time-series analysis, modelling, and data storytelling. Formerly based in London and newly relocated in Singapore.

Within the UK public sector, I developed and deployed machine learning models, predicted Covid cases and deaths, applied probabilistic data linkage, automated pipelines, built public facing dashboards, orchestrated the central dashboard, and created a new knowledge share data community.

You can see what I’m working on now here. If you’d like to get in touch, just drop me an email.

Recent posts

2024

What Are Embeddings and Why They’re Incredibly Useful

1 minute read

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If you’ve heard of the term “embeddings” before but don’t quite understand it, this post is for you. I’ll provide an intuitive explanation of embeddings and their significance.

Traditional Natural Language Processing (NLP) Tasks: Understanding What Large Language Models (LLMs) Can Do For You

1 minute read

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Since Transformers were introduced in 2017, Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities have skyrocketed. Knowing traditional NLP tasks is useful to understand the capabilities of (Large) Language Models. Although LLMs may outperform in many areas, smaller fine-tuned models will always have a place due to their faster latency and lower costs.

Prompting Tips for Better LLM Outputs

1 minute read

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Large Language Models (LLMs) are complex probabilistic machines that predict the next word. Prompt engineering is about conditioning them for desired outputs. Each instruction steers the model’s generation. Here are tips to prompting LLMs to generate useful outputs to your problems.

Simple Tips to Read More Books This Year

2 minute read

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Reading is a great habit that can expand your knowledge, spark creativity, and be inspired by others. I read an average of six books each year these past six years. This year, I’ve made a conscious effort to read more and learned some tips. I’ve currently read twelve books over the past six months.

How Raycast Transformed My MacBook Workflow

6 minute read

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As knowledge workers, the tools we use and how we integrate them into our workflow can greatly impact our productivity, minimise context switching and distractions, and improve overall work experience.

50+ Open-Source Options for Running LLMs Locally

13 minute read

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In my previous post, I discussed the benefits of using locally hosted open weights LLMs, like data privacy and cost savings. By using mostly free models and occasionally switching to GPT-4, my monthly expenses dropped from 20 USD to 0.50 USD. Setting up a port-forward to your local LLM server is a free solution for mobile access.

Why I Use Open Weights LLMs Locally

6 minute read

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As someone who regularly uses Large Language Models (LLMs) for personal use and builds apps with LLMs - the choice between self-hosted open weights LLMs and proprietary LLMs is a recurring theme. Here, I share my personal insights as to why I use locally hosted LLMs. As a disclaimer, I still use ChatGPT’s GPT-4 and GitHub Copilot for certain use cases and have not completed weaned off them yet.

2023

Future of Compute from Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO

2 minute read

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I had the pleasure of attending a keynote by Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO, hosted by ATxInspire Singapore. Below are a few highlights from a leader who has profoundly influenced our technological landscape:

H2O Singapore GenAI Day

1 minute read

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I recently attended H2O.ai’s Singapore GenAI Day, a fantastic event showcasing their latest contributions to GenAI. Highlights included:

Unpacking OpenAI’s Dev Day: A Leap Forward in AI Development

6 minute read

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OpenAI’s recent Dev Day announcements, such as the launch of GPT-4 Turbo, custom GPTs, and the GPT Store, are going to cause a massive disruption to not just the AI landscape of applications and services but also millions of businesses around the world - by making these powerful tools more accessible.

🔍 Unmasking the Unusual: An Intro to Anomaly Detection

14 minute read

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In this beginner-friendly post I’ll introduce the concept of anomaly detection, also known as outlier detection, focusing on the popular technique of density estimation. This introductory guide is the first post of a mini series of 3 posts, where in upcoming posts I’ll share the most cutting-edge anomaly detection methods used across industries.

🎉 One Month in Singapore’s AI Scene 🤖

14 minute read

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It’s been an action-packed first month in Singapore for me, settling into the new country and immersing myself in the vibrant AI community here! Here’s an overview of what I’ve been up to and my main takeaways from 24 hours of meetups and conferences on Generative AI, Machine Learning for finance, and Data Engineering.

Hello and Welcome! 👋

less than 1 minute read

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Thanks for stumbling upon my website. I’ve decided to finally share my thoughts and learnings online to hopefully add value to any readers out there. This space will primarily focus on data science, machine learning, AI, and my experiences living abroad in Singapore.