Your AI Strategy Needs A Human Touch
What is needed from the corporate sector is a balanced approach, maximizing productivity using the new tech without crippling workforces.
The artificial intelligence (AI) rush holds immense promise, but a cautionary note is needed. Unplanned automation could displace workers, hindering growth. Collaboration is key: private sector, unions, and government must work together to ensure AI augments human capital, not replace it. Energy-guzzling AI can stifle service sector jobs. Let's find a balanced approach, maximizing productivity without crippling workforces. The future of work hinges on a thoughtful AI strategy, one that values human potential as much as technological progress.
In Today’s Newsletter:
Sam Altman’s Universal Income Study Shows Mixed Results
AI Inroads in Gaming Industry Upsets Developers
“Indeed” Reports Surge in AI and ML Job Roles Amid Growing Reliance on Technology
Survey Reveals Nearly Half of Europeans Fear AI Will Lead to Job Losses
Coming Soon: A New AI Employee Service Agent
Choose Between Career and Country: Microsoft to Chinese Employees
FTC Launches Probe into Data-Driven Pricing Practices by Major Companies
Lawmakers Question OpenAI's Safety Standards and Whistleblower Policies
OpenAI's New "Instruction Hierarchy" Aims to Combat Meme'd Prompt Injections
Here’s a New Way of Ensuring Safety and Fairness in Neural Networks
Economic Survey (India) Warns Against Blind Deployment of Energy-Intensive AI, Citing Job Creation Risks in Services Sector
Concerns Mount Over Japan's Copyright Law And AI Companies Using Creative Works Without Permission
Survey Reveals Workplace Data Privacy Concerns Among Americans
McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook Reveals Key Emerging Tech Trends for Executives
Nearly Half of All Social Media Content Created by Businesses Will Be AI-generated by 2026…
….plus, “Minds And Machines”, “Top Picks” and more.
Two New Segments
Starting from last week’s newsletter, I’ve introduced “Minds and Machines”, which will feature interviews with experts, scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and what may have you working in the field of artificial intelligence.
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Want to feature in this “Minds And Machines” or “ 60 Secs… segment? Contact me.
Sam Altman’s Universal Income Study Shows Mixed Results
The results of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's guaranteed basic income study are now available. The study established that while overall spending increased, the majority of the additional funds were spent on food and rent. The study was motivated by Sam’s conviction that a basic income is crucial in the AI era, where there are concerns about millions of jobs becoming obsolete.
"Achieving true equality of opportunity is impossible without some form of guaranteed income," Altman had stated when announcing the project.
Researchers, however, found that there was no "direct evidence of improved access to healthcare or enhancements in physical and mental health" among participants receiving $1,000 payments.
They observed significant reductions in stress, mental distress, and food insecurity during the first year, but these effects diminished by the second and third years of the program. Cash alone cannot resolve issues like chronic health conditions, lack of childcare, or the high cost of housing.
Source: BusinessInsider
AI Inroads in Gaming Industry Upsets Developers
Game industry experts are concerned that AI may replace entry-level positions, leading to job insecurity and a shift towards supplementing AI's outputs rather than creating original ideas.
The potential legal issues and backlash surrounding the use of generative AI in gaming, as well as the concern over the large electricity load required to power up AI systems.
While AI can improve efficiency and free up developers for higher-level tasks, there is a division in the industry regarding whether AI will complement human talent or entirely replace it.
Source: greenbot.com
“Indeed” Reports Surge in AI and ML Job Roles Amid Growing Reliance on Technology
According to global hiring platform “Indeed”, the rapid growth in job roles within the artificial intelligence and machine learning sectors highlights the increasing reliance on these technologies across various industries. While AI leads the list in growth, the sanitation and construction industries are also experiencing significant increases, with job postings rising by 160% and 121%, respectively.
Source: thehansindia.com
Survey Reveals Nearly Half of Europeans Fear AI Will Lead to Job Losses
A recent Allianz survey across six European countries found that nearly half of European citizens fear artificial intelligence will result in job losses. Specifically, 46% of respondents anticipate a reduction in job numbers due to AI. In contrast, only one-third believe that new technology will generate new job opportunities.
Conducted among nearly 6,300 people in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Austria, the survey also revealed that half of the respondents think AI exacerbates the skills gap and inequality, while about one-fifth remain optimistic about its potential benefits.
Source: sarajevotimes.com
Coming Soon: A New AI Employee Service Agent
Salesforce and Workday, Inc., a leading provider of solutions to help organizations manage their people and money have announced plans for a new AI employee service agent that will automate time-consuming tasks, provide personalized support, and surface data-driven insights that help employees work smarter and faster.
The combination of Salesforce’s new Agentforce Platform and Einstein AI with the Workday platform and Workday AI will enable organizations to create and manage agents for a variety of employee service use cases. This AI agent will work with and elevate humans to drive employee and customer success across the business. Powered by a company’s Salesforce CRM data and Workday financial and HR data, the new AI employee service agents have a shared, trusted data foundation to communicate with employees in natural language, with human-like comprehension. As a result, taking action as part of onboarding, health benefit changes, career development, and other tasks will be easier than ever.
Choose Between Career and Country: Microsoft to Chinese Employees
Microsoft is asking its Chinese employees, particularly those working on AI and Cloud computing, to consider relocating due to increasing US-China tensions and concerns over national security.
Many Chinese Microsoft employees are hesitant to move due to concerns about lower living standards, pay cuts, and uncertainties about their families' futures.
The evolving US-China dynamics are leading to tough decisions for employees, with some opting to relocate for better work environments and opportunities, while others weigh the comforts of home and stability.
Source: restoftheworld.org
FTC Launches Probe into Data-Driven Pricing Practices by Major Companies
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun an investigation into products that use consumer data to offer targeted pricing based on personal attributes like location and purchase history. This study involves companies such as Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, and others that provide data-driven pricing tools.
These tools, which utilize AI and other technologies, are designed to customize prices for individual consumers, sparking concerns about privacy and fairness. The FTC seeks to understand how these products function, their data usage, and their impact on pricing.
Source: FTC
Lawmakers Question OpenAI's Safety Standards and Whistleblower Policies
Senate Democrats and an independent lawmaker have sent a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, raising concerns about the company's safety standards and employment practices towards whistleblowers.
A key point in the letter, initially reported by The Washington Post, was item 9, which asked, "Will OpenAI commit to making its next foundation model available to US Government agencies for pre-deployment testing, review, analysis, and assessment?"
The letter included 11 additional points, seeking OpenAI’s commitment to dedicating 20% of its computing power to safety research and implementing protocols to prevent malicious actors or foreign adversaries from stealing AI products.
Source: cointelegraph.com
OpenAI's New "Instruction Hierarchy" Aims to Combat Meme'd Prompt Injections
OpenAI has introduced a new safety technique called "instruction hierarchy" to prevent the misuse of its AI models. This instruction hierarchy will prevent the widely meme'd prompt injections, where AI is tricked with sneaky commands, that are commonly seen across the internet.
Source: theverge.com
Here’s a New Way of Ensuring Safety and Fairness in Neural Networks
Researchers at TU Wien and AIT Austrian Institute of Technology have developed methods to certify the safety and fairness of neural networks, crucial for AI decision-making in sensitive areas like self-driving cars and medical diagnostics.
The properties of robustness and fairness are essential for neural networks, ensuring consistent decision-making in similar situations and preventing discrimination based on irrelevant parameters.
By using confidence-based safety checks and mathematical tricks, it is possible to rigorously test neural networks and guarantee their properties with mathematical reliability, enhancing trust in AI decision-making processes.
Source: techexplore.com
Economic Survey (India) Warns Against Blind Deployment of Energy-Intensive AI, Citing Job Creation Risks in Services Sector
The Economic Survey (India) presented in India's Parliament today, emphasizes the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the Indian workforce, raising concerns about job displacement and barriers to sustained economic growth.
It calls for a collaborative effort between the private sector, union and state governments to ensure that AI augments labor rather than displaces workers.
Additionally, the survey warns against the blind deployment of energy-intensive AI, citing its potential to limit job creation in the services sector.It also highlights the need for a balanced approach to AI adoption, considering its potential to enhance productivity while also causing labor market disruptions.
Source: timesofindia.com
Concerns Mount Over Japan's Copyright Law And AI Companies Using Creative Works Without Permission
Japan's current copyright law permits AI companies to use copyrighted images and materials for training without seeking permission, raising concerns among illustrators and artists about the protection of their work.
Illustrators, artists, and musicians have expressed concern regarding the lack of protection for copyright holders, as AI companies utilize their creations to train models without permission.
Source: financialtimes.com
Survey Reveals Workplace Data Privacy Concerns Among Americans
A recent survey by HR tech platform Checkr reveals widespread concern about online data safety and privacy.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans report being "extremely or moderately concerned" about their online data security. Among the surveyed groups, Gen Xers and millennials (approximately 28 to 59 years old) were the most alarmed.
Given massive data breaches like the recent AT&T metadata leak, stringent workplace policies monitoring employees' online activities, and companies extensively collecting and commercializing data, this concern is understandable.
In a poll of 3,000 employed Americans across four generations, Checkr found that anxiety about workplace monitoring and privacy was particularly prevalent. According to the survey, 84% of respondents expressed concern about the safety and privacy of the data they provide online in the workplace.
Source: checker
McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook Reveals Key Emerging Tech Trends for Executives
The latest McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook, published by the McKinsey Technology Council, highlights the most significant technology trends currently unfolding, including gen-AI. This research is designed to assist executives in planning for the future by offering insights into potential use cases, sources of value, adoption drivers, and the essential skills required to capitalize on these opportunities.
Source: McKinsey
Nearly Half of All Social Media Content Created by Businesses Will Be AI-generated by 2026
The future of social media marketing is set to be increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.
According to Capterra’s 2024 GenAI for Social Content Survey of over 1,600 social media marketers worldwide, businesses plan to use generative AI (gen-AI) for an average of 48% of their social media content by 2026, up from 39% in 2024.
…where every week, I shortlist interesting articles, posts, podcasts, and videos on AI.
CIOs Should Be Cautious Not to Engage in “AI Washing” Themselves
The IT industry has a history of exaggerating product capabilities, and the current AI hype cycle is no exception. User companies are also inflating their AI abilities, which could lead to significant issues.
This article talks about the pressures that IT leaders face from boards, executives, and the market to launch AI initiatives, and confusion about AI's definition may contribute to this overhyping. With the rush to capitalize on AI, some companies might resort to “AI washing” to attract investors and customers, but regulatory compliance lawyer David Shargel advises caution.
How to Use AI for Data Governance (Use Cases & Tools)
