The Ohio State University - AI Reading Club

In Fall Semester 2024, the Ohio State University AI Club, in collaboration with 99P Labs, established a biweekly reading club to immerse students in the latest AI research. This initiative grew out of the recognition that emerging topics in artificial intelligence—ranging from multi-agent systems to retrieval-augmented generation—demand a dedicated space for in-depth exploration and collective learning. Spearheaded on the OSU AI Club side by Raagul Sundaralingam, the reading club thrives on a collaborative culture where every member can suggest papers, vote on discussion topics, and share practical insights gained through personal projects or new AI tools.

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A hallmark of the club’s success lies in its inviting, community-centered format. Meetings begin in smaller breakout rooms, giving members the chance to discuss thought-provoking research papers in a more intimate setting. Afterwards, everyone reconvenes in a larger forum to share discoveries and refine their perspectives on the week’s theme. This approach helps newer participants overcome speaking anxiety and ensures a balanced exchange of ideas. So far, the club has explored topics such as MetaGPT’s framework for multi-agent collaboration, Astute RAG’s advancements in retrieval-augmented generation, and Genie’s generative interactive environments. Each session fosters a dynamic blend of theory, real-world application, and ethical considerations—often spurring debates on how these innovations could reshape industries like education, logistics, and virtual reality.

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The reading club’s community atmosphere extends beyond official meetings. Club members such as Antoine Jean, Agastya Mishra, Cynthia Song, Danial Chaudhry, Joshua Klasmeier, Kevin Zhang, Lee Davis, Mohammed Maalin, Saul Ibaven, and Tony Zheng have played a vital role in refining discussion channels like Discord. Here, members propose upcoming topics, share experiments with AI tools, and comment on each other’s insights—whether that involves new text generation models, multi-modal frameworks, or open-source projects like WhisperX. While the club already draws from a core group of 16 participants, it welcomes anyone eager to broaden their knowledge and skills in AI, from novices to seasoned enthusiasts.

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Future sessions promise a deeper look at multi-modal learning, swarm intelligence, and speech-to-text innovations, reflecting the club’s diverse interests. Suggestions include IMAGEBIND for universal embeddings, Fast GraphRAG for efficient retrieval, OpenAI Swarm for multi-agent systems, and the evolving capabilities of WhisperX. By blending robust theoretical discussions with hands-on exploration of toolsets, the club continues to cultivate an engaging environment that keeps pace with AI’s fast-moving frontier. Participants don’t just read papers; they debate the ethics, share real-world anecdotes, and explore ways to make these breakthroughs more accessible for broader communities.

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Ultimately, this reading club encapsulates the spirit of 99P Labs—grassroots innovation fueled by inclusive learning and curiosity-driven dialogue. It stands as a model for how industry and academia can come together to deepen collective understanding of AI’s ever-expanding possibilities. For those inspired by this vibrant gathering of minds, the club invites you to stay connected through the 99P Labs blog, follow ongoing work on LinkedIn, or reach out directly to explore collaboration opportunities. Through these channels, the partnership between 99P Labs and the OSU AI Club continues to forge new pathways in artificial intelligence research, one conversation at a time.