Expanding the Legacy
Tag: AI
10 Posts
Lawyers Needed to Rein in Altman and Co
More than technology, Silicon Valley produces hype. It is forever on the cusp of a major breakthrough, needing only a bit more cash for the magic to happen. In the 1990s it was the dot-com boom; in the 2000s nanotechnology; and in the 2010s blockchain and its crypto derivatives. All these hypes promised deliverance from some affliction suffered by mankind and usher in an era of peace, prosperity, and general wellbeing. The paperless office and global village came and went, as did the miraculous nanotech materials and all the pyramids that touched the heavens unlocking vast wealth to believers. More often than not, Silicon Valley offered solutions in search of a problem.
How Silicon Valley Strikes Out, Dumps VC Funds, and Woos You
The job of venture capital (VC) fund managers involves making out with lots of frogs in the expectation that at least one of them turns into a prince. VC funds have enjoyed a great ride with a powerful business model that not only provided good returns but one with significant benefits to society as well. VC brings innovation and enables bright minds and lateral thinkers to prosper. Its absence is often mentioned to explain the dearth of tech champions in Europe. However, in the era of generative-ai capital is required on a much grander scale than VC can deliver.
The Sense and Nonsense of the Luddites
Luddites thrive on nostalgia and a fear of technological progress. However, before dismissing them as sentimental fools, it would be wise to consider a few of their more reasoned arguments, especially in light of the advent of artificial intelligence. To some, AI is but the latest iteration of the much touted ‘paperless office’, the big promise of the 1980s which never quite materialised. In fact, the world’s offices are inhabited by more paper shufflers than ever before.
A Critique of Pure Drivel
Dear AI Bot, You recently assembled a list of seven tips for copywriters who want to improve their skills. The post on LinkedIn mentions that you received assistance from the ‘LinkedIn-community’. I assume said community comprises expert copywriters who may wonder why you decided to insert that rather silly hyphen. Has nobody bothered to explain the rules governing the use of that punctuation mark. I guess not.
Finding, Dissecting, and Dealing with AI Hallucinations
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over the internet with untold millions of webpages generated by bots at the request of entrepreneurs looking to ‘get money for nothing’ - if only because the ‘chicks’ are not usually ‘free’ for nerds. It is a great business by any standard. Ask any bot powered by a large language model (LLM) to write a few hundred words on any given topic and a webpage is born. No need to hire and pay writers, editors, proofreaders, or any other creative professional. What’s not to like?
AI Gunning for the Corner Office
MBA graduates are usually highly valued for their ability to analyse and comprehend a vast universe of business scenarios, discern trends, trace the shortest route to success, unearth synergies, and/or map under-explored areas ready for exploitation. However, there is quite literally nothing in this that cannot be done by artificial intelligence - and probably be done better and cheaper.
Artificial Intelligence: Enough with the Hype Already
There is nothing intelligent about artificial intelligence. The clue is in the name: artificial. At best, AI mimics intelligence. And such, it fools the more simple minded into believing that AI is a brainiac whereas, in reality, AI is merely good at crunching big data to distil trends and source possibilities.
AI to Drive Nail in Coffin of Long Stagnation
Recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious management consulting firms, though no stranger to controversy, McKinsey & Company is quite sanguine about the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) to the economy. Early adopters of the technology could see productivity gains of up to 25 percent by 2030. Over the...
Blowing the Whistle on AI
ChatGPT suffers from artificial hallucination with hints of sociopathy. If stumped, the much-hyped chatbot will brazenly resort to lying and spit out plausible-sounding answers compiled from random falsehoods. Unable to make it, the bot will happily fake it. In May, New York lawyer Steven A Schwartz discovered this the hard...
The Sense and Nonsense of the Coming AI Revolution
Alas, literature it is not. Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is, at times, an awkward read held together by the vacuous phraseology much in vogue with upper-management types. After all, what is ‘linear thinking’ and why should it be avoided? Conversely, why must leaders learn how to navigate ‘exponentially disruptive change’, and will they know how to identify such a dreadful phenomenon? However, and thankfully, this is a rather slim volume running just 288 pages. It is also a rather important tome and packs quite a punch, albeit probably not in the way intended. In a nutshell, the message is: society better be prepared to deal with smart machines, powered by artificial intelligence and other marvels of technology.
