Adapt, Embrace, or be Replaced

The ChatGPT Revolution and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Explosion of 2023

I was a teenager when I wrote my first blog post, it was around 2004 and I was experiencing the web 2.0 revolution.

I remember I was so excited by the latest releases that I was discovering by reading multiple blogs that I really wanted to share with all my school friends in my MSN blog.

After 5 years and thousands of daily readers, personal circumstances and university studies took me away from it and I decided to interrupt it.

Since then I have been reading the news every day, waiting for the next big thing that would have motivated me to start sharing again.

Today is the day. I feel the need to be part of the voices that share what is happening and will be a turning point in our lives.

In the latest months, the releasing of ChatGPT and its proof of power resulted in the development of hundreds of AI applications and the consequent surge of interest. That AI, that before meant to the general public just smart tweaks in our Photo app or smart algorithm for your IG feed, today shows its real muscles and capabilities.

Now, if you’re reading this post as of April 2023, you are almost justified if you never tried ChatGPT. Thank me and remediate ASAP (https://chat.openai.com/). Do it. If you are reading this within December 2023, and you are wondering why your colleagues or competitors are all of a sudden performing better than you, then probably it is because you never tried the latest AI products.

2023 is The Year of powerful AI tools spreading to the general public and, guess what, the reception is so far outstanding and not here to stop (Howarth, 2023).

As ChatGPT went live on November the 30th 2022 it immediately became the fastest-growing consumer application in history (Walmsley, 2023), reaching 57 million users in less than one month and 100 million in two (Hu, 2023).

Together with ChatGPT, the overall interest in AI has grown as never before (Trends, s.d.).

In recent days, the spread of high-res AI-generated images of Trump being arrested, Putin kneeling in front of Zelensky and the Pope wearing streetwear, went viral, bringing an influx of new users to experiment with MidJourney capabilities. The company has been forced to close free-trials (Stanley) due to the massive and unexpected demand.

As we continue to explore the potential of AI, it becomes increasingly clear that its applications extend far beyond what we initially imagined and were used until 2022.

The integration of AI into various industries will transform the job market at an unprecedented pace. Tasks that were once labor-intensive or repetitive are now being automated, allowing employees to focus on more strategic and creative responsibilities. This shift not only alters the nature of jobs but also demands new skills and continuous adaptation from the workforce.

PwC (Hawksworth) estimated that 30% of existing UK jobs, 38% in the US, 35% in Germany and 21% in Japan, are susceptible to automation from robotics and AI in the next 15 years.

The faster you and your organization adapt, the more competitive advantage you gain.

Do you think it is not suitable nor helpful to you and your business? You are wrong.

Use cases are hundreds, you can use it to support on correcting the grammar of your emails, drafting and reviewing documents and contract clauses, giving concise summaries when researching information online, and can support on solving your issues with excel or other applications, just to mention few.

Mastering AI tools will unlock your “next level” and people will be capable of performing as never before, in a human/machine duo. In this context the importance of soft skills, such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, will grow. These human qualities will remain indispensable in a world where technology cannot fully replicate the nuances of human interaction.

It is just the beginning and challenges ahead are not negligible: ethics and privacy above all, just to mention two of them, but these are worth dedicated posts.

Some playground - give it a try:

-ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/chat

-DALL E: https://labs.openai.com/

-MidJourney: https://midjourney.com/

References:

-Hu, K. (2023, February 01). ChatGPT sets record for fastest-growing user base - analyst note. Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-sets-record-fastest-growing-user-base-analyst-note-2023-02-01/

-Trends, G. (n.d.). Google Trends. Retrieved from Google: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=AI&hl

-Walmsley, L. (2023, February 1). ChatGPT is growing faster than TikTok. (C. MoneyWatch, Interviewer)

-Hawksworth, John. “Up to 30% of existing UK jobs could be impacted by automation by early 2030s, but this should be offset by job gains elsewhere in economy - Press room.” PwC UK blogs, 24 March 2017, https://pwc.blogs.com/press_room/2017/03/up-to-30-of-existing-uk-jobs-could-be-impacted-by-automation-by-early-2030s-but-this-should-be-offse.html.

-Stanley, Isaac. “Midjourney is making fake images go mainstream.” The Washington Post, 30 March 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/midjourney-ai-image-generation-rules/.