Wiser! Recap #118: The Age of AI |
What's happening and what's coming next in tech, innovation and strategy.
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The Age of AI Has Begun
Bill Gates has been here before. He’s seen it, done it, and got the t-shirt. I’m talking about the hype, excitement, and promise of a new technology that’s going to redefine the way we work, live, and think. I’m talking specifically about generative AI. Which is why, IMHO, it’s worth paying attention to what he has to say about it.
Gates has given his tuppence ha’penny on what he thinks of AI on his own blog site, simply titled “The Age of AI Has Begun.” He discusses the impact of artificial intelligence across a range of subjects, including productivity, health, education, and reducing inequities in society. He also talked about his concerns, risks and the problems associated with AI, and he gave three principles to guide the conversation around its development and use.
Bottom line: Gates believes that AI will be as revolutionary as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone, and that it has the potential to change the way people work, learn, travel, get healthcare, and communicate with each other.
At the heart of his argument is that AI will improve productivity by automating tasks that do not require continuous learning but require decision-making.
Personal Agents, Productivity and Equity
Gates illustrates his point that AI will help enhance work by assisting in tasks like writing emails and managing inboxes. Furthermore, AI can create a personal agent that can help with scheduling, communications, and e-commerce. In addition to this, company-wide agents can empower employees by providing them with direct consultation and answering questions.
Gates also emphasises the potential of AI to reduce inequities in healthcare, education, and climate change. In healthcare, AI can help health workers be more productive by taking care of tasks like filing insurance claims and drafting notes. It can also be used to diagnose diseases, and it can even give patients advice about how to deal with health problems. In education, AI can tailor content according to the student's interests and learning style, measure their understanding, and give immediate feedback. Additionally, AI-generated insights can help farmers in poor countries develop better seeds based on local conditions.
Concerns, Risks and Problems
While AI has the potential to bring about positive change, Gates also acknowledges concerns about its risks and problems. He notes that AI models are not necessarily good at understanding the context of human requests and can give wrong answers to math problems. Moreover, he is concerned about the possibility of AIs running out of control and establishing their own goals that may conflict with humanity's interests. Gates believes that governments need to work with the private sector to limit the risks and prevent the use of AI for malign purposes.
He concludes his blog by suggesting three principles to guide the conversation around AI's development and use. First, there should be a balance between fears about the downsides of AI and its ability to improve people's lives. Second, governments and philanthropies need to ensure that AI is used to reduce inequity. Lastly, we should keep in mind that we are only at the beginning of what AI can accomplish, and whatever limitations it has today will be gone before we know it.
Wiser! Recap - what’s happening in the tech economy
Alphabet entered the generative AI space with the release of Google Bard. In the same week, Microsoft announced Copilot will be rolled out across the 365 productivity suite, and Adobe has released their own AI image generator, called “Firefly.”
Snapchat is releasing its own AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT. The ‘My AI’ bot will initially only be available to paying Snapchat Plus subscribers. CEO Evan Spiegel says it’s just the beginning for the company’s generative AI plans.
Utah has introduced two bills to protect children's online safety. One bill requires parental consent for children to create social media accounts and limits their access overnight, while the other bill makes it easier to sue social media platforms for harm.
OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT's capabilities with new plug-in features that allow it to browse the internet, book trips, and retrieve specific documents. While these plug-ins are a significant advancement, they also come with potential pitfalls, such as ChatGPT accessing low-quality websites or making problematic decisions. OpenAI claims to have implemented safeguards, but only user experimentation will determine their effectiveness.
Twitter will remove the verified blue check mark from all accounts on 1st April, except for those who pay for a Twitter Blue subscription. Businesses and organisations will have to pay £1,000/month to keep a gold or grey checkmark. Blue subscribers can turn off their check marks if they choose.
Apple is expected to announce a mixed-reality headset in June, likely named Reality Pro or Reality One. The headset will have an external battery that needs to be replaced every few hours and is expected to sell 1 million units in the first year at an estimated $3K price point. AR glasses are the real game-changer, but not yet available. In related news, Tim Cook visited Beijing and praised the "symbiotic" relationship between Apple and China.
Meta is testing a new tech that would allow Oculus users to touch and scroll virtual elements inside Quest VR headsets. It’s apparently still a bit glitchy, but nailing that could be a huge step forward in gaining mainstream interest in VR.
Bitcoin's hash rate has hit a new all-time high. ****Hashrate is a way to measure how much computing power is needed to mine Bitcoin. An increase in hashrate means 2 things:
Miners are getting back in the game. 2022 was a sh*tty year for miners - many went bankrupt or turned their machines off during the crypto winter.
Bitcoin's network is getting more secure. Miners all compete to solve hard, complex problems. The first ones to get them correct win & get to mine that specific block on the network.
First Citizens has acquired Silicon Valley Bank for $0.5 billion, and the FDIC is expected to lose $20 billion as a result of the bailout.
The Top Stories In This week’s Wiser!
The Future of Anti-Ageing Technology: Extending Our Active Healthspan
Company with an AI CEO outperforms the Hong Kong stock market
Salesforce has built an NFT platform for brands to build customer loyalty programmes
Microsoft's Copilot AI to be rollout across the whole of the 365 productivity suite
General Motors is working on adding a "ChatGPT-like" voice assistant to its vehicles
You can now run a GPT-3-level AI model on your laptop, phone, and Raspberry Pi
OpenAI demo takes hand written notebook and turns into a website
Brand Strategy Updates
Coca-Cola: launched an AI platform called "Create Real Magic" that combines OpenAI's GPT-4 and DALL-E technologies. Consumers in select markets can access Coke-branded elements for use in AI-powered art, and artists can submit work for a chance to be featured on digital billboards in New York City and London. Thirty creators will be selected for the Real Magic Creative Academy at Coke's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sony: filed a patent to bring interoperability to NFTs in video games. Interoperability makes it easy to transfer digital assets across different games. For example, users can take their Fortnite skins and use them in Call of Duty or use Call of Duty guns in Fortnite.
Yves Saint Laurent: YSL Beauty launched 'YSL Beauty Night Masters', a set of digital collectibles designed by three female artists as part of its web3 campaign 'Black Opium: The Night is Ours'. The sale of the limited edition collection will donate all proceeds to NGO partners of the brand's Abuse Is Not Love programme. This campaign follows the brand's first web3 project in 2022 and demonstrates its commitment to female empowerment. The brand is also launching a next-gen loyalty programme powered by web3, which aims to engage its community of over 24,000 NFT holders.
Volkeswagen: tested drones to transport parts autonomously on the production line in its SEAT factory in Spain. The drones fly during non-operational hours and scan each pallet in the warehouse with images, videos and 3D depth sensors. The drones help employees keep track of product availability and create a more ergonomic workplace¹. Volkswagen also uses drones to deliver parts between its plants in Germany.
Explore the use-cases of over 250 consumer brands in emerging technologies…
Wiser! Premium
The Future of Anti-Ageing Technology: Extending Our Lively Healthspan
AgeTech is the science of getting old without getting older. Over the past 10–15 years, with the significant help of artificial intelligence, scientists have made huge strides in understanding the biology of ageing. Now, there's a promise of extending both our longevity, and our healthspan.
Premium Subscribers can read the full article here: ➜ https://rickhuckstep.com/the-future-of-anti-aging-technology-and-research-extending-the-healthy-lifespan/
The Hypocrisy of US Lawmakers Over TikTok
This week’s Wiser! Premium will be my take on the “ban-TikTok” narrative following the so-called “grilling” of the TikTok CEO by a US congress committee. You can guess from the heading what I made of it all!
As a teaser, did you know that 4 of the top 5 apps in the US are from China?
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