Why this matters
AI-native interaction is an ownership problem as much as a model problem. A strong experience separates grounded knowledge from inference, keeps deterministic product actions deterministic, and makes interruption, cancellation, latency, and failure visible.
Concepts to learn
- Streaming and realtime APIs
- Tool calling and structured outputs
- Grounding, retrieval, and memory
- Interruption, cancellation, and latency masking
- Confirmations and recoverable failure
- Evaluation and product-quality criteria
Apply It in Casset
Casset is the working environment for this skill—not the curriculum itself.
- Prototype Voice Liner Notes that distinguishes verified artist context, catalog metadata, model inference, and unknown information.
- Build conversational catalog navigation where deterministic tools search and control playback; the model never owns playback state directly.
- Explore an Artist Studio Assistant over real catalog and product data with explicit permission and provenance boundaries.
- Test a Listening Companion that ducks or pauses predictably, streams quickly, accepts interruption, reflects voice state, resumes safely, and exposes errors.
Suggested project
Voice liner notes
A grounded, interruptible listening conversation that keeps source and playback ownership legible.
Open project notebookEvidence of completion
These are completion conditions, not claimed achievements. Each stays planned until it links to a real artifact or verification.
- implementationA streaming prototype with tool boundaries and visible stateplanned
- testsEvaluation cases for grounding, unknowns, interruption, and recoveryplanned
- observationA user session focused on trust and controlplanned
- reflectionA note separating impressive model behavior from durable product behaviorplanned
Open questions
- What should the model be allowed to propose, and what must remain a deterministic command?
- How should uncertainty feel when the person is listening rather than reading?
Related notes
Books, talks, and useful things
- articleDesigning AI Products
Study interaction boundaries, not just model capability.
- toolStructured outputs and tool calling
Keep product state behind explicit tools.
Reflection journal
The model should expand the relationship with the music, not become a second product competing for attention.