Forget Everything You Know About Artificial Intelligence, It's About to Get Crazier
Expected advancements in artificial intelligence, including GPT-5.
Photo Source: GatesNotes
If Paul Revere were alive today, instead of riding a horse through town screaming “The British are coming! The British are coming!”, we believe he would have posted on his Substack and LinkedIn pages, “Artificial intelligence is coming! Artificial intelligence is coming!”
But then again, with all that has happened since January, we now think he would be posting, “Artificial intelligence is here! Artificial intelligence is here!”
Why are we saying that?
Well, as one place where we try to aggregate articles and give our readers, who are mostly non-tech professionals and students, an understanding of AI, we have read hundreds of articles about AI. In doing so, we’ve noticed a shift in articles since January discussing how AI has been introduced into the mainstream of business and personal life.
Although still full of major issues, Pandora’s box is open, and it will probably not shut unless a major catastrophe happens and the world agrees to guardrails. So, our hope and responsibility is to get more non-tech professionals and students understanding AI and show them how to participate in its progress the right way.
From this point on, you will notice a change in our artificial intelligence content. Instead of just seeking what new developments will change the world, we will be showing our readers how to use those new developments.
Don’t worry, we’ll steer clear from the noise pieces like “Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I want to be alive’” or about imagining nuclear weapons being guided by AI processes (perhaps possible, but not a high probability). We will give you solid articles we find that may help you understand current events and how you can participate. As today’s Paul Revere would scream, “It’s here, and here are some ways to help!”
With that in mind, and knowing we’re all overloaded with our regular lives, chores and worries, here are a few of the best articles we think you should read about artificial intelligence that have appeared in the past 90 days. These are ones that point out the signals in our mind of what is here, not the noise of someone’s fears or crazy thinking.
Let’s start with Bill Gates’ manifesto on where we are with AI and the hopes of how this will take our human civilization to the next level, especially in regards to creating value, which helps all, not just the rich! Our opinion is that he’s a bit optimistic, but makes a lot of sense.
Second, The New York Times reporter who wrote the piece about the Chatbot asking him to kill his wife, got more queries to us about whether or not this is for real. The following article discusses the AI mirror test and what differentiates software from sentient. Here is the article, and for some better understanding, you can listen to Michael Jackson’s “Main in the Mirror” as you read.
One of our favorite future thinkers in the technology field is Kevin Kelly, founder of Wired magazine and a former editor of the Whole Earth Catalog (old timers like me remember having that on our coffee tables). Here is his view of where we are headed in this century regarding tech advancements and human life. We especially liked his advice for young people looking for careers and the idea of “technium,” which is all of human technology acting as a single natural system. This article is one of the most thought out and best when it comes to where AI and technology in general is headed.
Finally, as we don’t want to overload you with too many articles, the following might be useful for thinking about the next 12 months. Here is where you might start seeing useful areas we teach at Lehigh for non-tech students, such as prompt questioning, which relies more on legal, philosophical and journalistic training than computer languages and coding.
If you are just feeling lazy and not ready to jump into AI yet, have no fear… if GPT-5 comes out later this year as expected, everyone will have to reboot what they know one more time.
Please, please take a fundamental course on AI that is non-tech related, such as the one we are offering CPAs in the continuing education area or from an executive education area. It’s important to learn the definition of intelligence, as well as its history, types and abilities, before diving straight into artificial intelligence. You will be ready to join the conversation if you keep reading about advancements from objective, responsible places, such as Don’t Count Us Out Yet. Hey descendants of Paul Revere, hope you subscribe!
Best,
Craig for the Don’t Count Us Out Yet Team