The Brain Behind the Future

Chapter 2: Artificial Intelligence- The Brain Behind the Future

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

Given the breakneck speed at which technology has been advancing, Vince Lombardi’s words are more relevant today than ever. We are witnessing the evolution of breakthrough technologies, and artificial intelligence is being woven into our lives in ways that were previously unimaginable.

Artificial intelligence has recently risen to prominence due to the advent of generative AI, which is one specific branch of AI that allows users to create new and original content. I recently interviewed Sofiia Shvetz, CEO of Let’s Enhance, on my podcast. During our talk, Sofiia shared her experiences and expertise in leveraging generative AI to streamline e-commerce processes. Her journey highlights the adaptability and innovative spirit required to succeed in the tech industry.

The second part of this chapter explores AI’s critical role in cybersecurity. In this context, Remco Vas, the CEO of Cujo AI, gave Exponential Edge listeners a detailed look at how AI is used to protect home networks from cyber threats. His insights focus on the balance between using AI to implement defenses and responding to the ways in which AI has made cyber threats increasingly sophisticated.

Sofiia’s Career Journey

Sofiia’s journey in the tech industry wouldn’t have been possible without a powerful blend of passion and vision. While attending university, Sofiia started working as the program manager at a Ukrainian business accelerator called Happy Farm. At the firm, she primarily handled business and marketing responsibilities.

After graduating, she took a position at Google, working with online resellers and e-commerce giants. After three years with Google, Sofiia decided to venture out on her own. Alongside co-founder Vlad Pranskevi?ius, Sofiia founded Let’s Enhance, a company dedicated to leveraging generative AI to improve photo quality and streamline e-commerce processes. Sofiia’s business experience at Happy Farm and tech experience at Google equipped her with a unique perspective on the potential of generative AI, and her career trajectory shows us the importance of embracing change and striving for continuous learning in the tech industry.

What Is Generative AI?

Generative AI focuses on creating new content from scratch. Text, photos, and even videos can be generated based on user input. Generative AI gained prominence alongside the development of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and has been popularized over the past few years via large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and DALL-E.

While other forms of artificial intelligence are interesting from a technological perspective, generative AI is especially compelling to the average person because its behavior is seemingly creative. Not only does generative AI technology imitate human behavior, but it also creates tangible outputs that assist us in completing real-world tasks.

“Generative AI is a technology that can create novel, new information,” Sofiia explained. She compares it to symbolic AI, which is used in spam filters, and machine learning, which makes features like Netflix recommendations possible. While these forms of artificial intelligence have their function and place, they simply don’t do the same things that Generative AI can do.

Generative AI in Let’s Enhance

At Let’s Enhance, generative AI is used to improve the quality of photos by filling in visual gaps and supplementing digital information. This technology is especially useful in the world of e-commerce because it can handle tedious tasks such as the removal of backgrounds and image enhancement, which were traditionally performed by humans.

Ethical Concerns and Misuse

With great power comes great responsibility—and generative AI is no exception. AI technology raises ethical concerns, particularly over deepfakes—images, video, or audio that manipulate a real person’s likeness—and information manipulation.

Sofiia stresses the importance of being vigilant and educating others, especially older generations, about potential scams and misleading content. Technology can be used for both good and bad, and it’s no longer feasible to take everything you see at face value. “Technology is neutral,” she said. “It can be used for good and for harm. Question what you see online and double-check all information.”

Building generative AI applications also comes with its own set of challenges. Data collection, computational resources, and maintaining continuous improvement are key. It’s critical to constantly optimize and retrain models for speed and accuracy, which requires huge investments in time, computational power, and funding.

Educational Resources

For those interested in exploring generative AI further, Sofiia recommends Coursera’s AI courses by Andrew Ng and Google’s introductory AI courses. “We must educate ourselves on how to work with these models,” Sofiia advised. “There are a lot of resources on LinkedIn Learning and other platforms [for this purpose].”

Future Goals for Let’s Enhance

Looking ahead, Let’s Enhance aims to become a comprehensive solution for businesses to create and manage content using AI. The company’s vision is to provide tools that replicate and enhance current processes while people unlock new creative possibilities. “Our vision is to become a photoshoot in the pocket,” affirmed Sofiia.

Nuggets of Wisdom from Sofiia Shvetz

1. Generative AI is a groundbreaking technology and is here to stay.
2. This technology unlocks a new generation of applications that don’t require technical expertise. Anyone can use this type of technology.
3. Generative AI will not replace people, but people who utilize generative AI will often outpace people who don’t.
4. Generative AI is getting cheaper and more accessible every year, which allows for faster development of other products but also requires upkeep and continuous improvement.
5. This technology introduces risks for abuse. Ethical considerations and safeguarding against deepfakes are imperative.

Remco Vas – Cujo AI

Next, we’ll take a look at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity in the context of Cujo AI, a cybersecurity and network intelligence company dedicated to protecting homes from cyber threats. During our interview, Remco Vas, the CEO of Cujo AI, shared his insights on the unique potential of AI in online security, the challenges involved, and the future of the field.

During our discussion on Exponential Edge, Remco and I talked about the importance of using technology to solve real-world problems. Similarly, a focus on practical problem-solving and user-centric design is key to Cujo AI’s approach to cybersecurity.

In case you were wondering, the name Cujo AI is indeed inspired by the Stephen King novel about a guard dog, symbolizing protection. This curious name choice is an offbeat but apt reflection of Cujo AI’s mission to safeguard home networks from cybersecurity threats.

AI in Cybersecurity

One of AI’s key transformative impacts on cybersecurity is in the field of anomaly detection. AI enables Cujo AI to operate at a scale that would be otherwise impossible; the firm identifies potential threats among millions of new web pages every day. “What AI allows us to do is really operate at a scale that would not have been possible without it,” explained Remco. But it’s a double-edged sword—artificial intelligence also provides modern tools for cybercriminals, which increases the complexity of potential threats.

Cujo AI focuses on protecting all the devices that are connected to a home network, regardless of whether each device is connected via ethernet cable or Wi-Fi. Using a software agent that runs on the gateway or router, Cujo AI analyzes networking traffic in real time, potentially detecting malicious activity and comprehensively protecting all connected devices.

Identifying and securing devices in the home network is a crucial task. Since 2017, Cujo AI has encountered more than two billion devices, using thousands of rules—conditions that trigger a specific response—and AI to identify them. This process also involves analyzing the packets that are exchanged between the gateway and the devices.

Packet inspection is a critical aspect of Cujo AI’s approach to cybersecurity. Remco explained that everything on the Internet is sent from point A to point B in the form of packets—segments of larger messages sent over computer networks—with Cujo AI focusing on the unencrypted headers of these packets. This approach maintains user privacy while ensuring security.

Rather than quarantining or blocking entire devices from accessing the home network, Cujo AI blocks specific forms of malicious connections. That way, users can continue to use their devices normally while still avoiding malicious behavior. This type of targeted approach is another piece of the puzzle that lets Cujo AI improve users’ experiences while keeping them safe.

Remco’s Career Insights

For Remco, continually questioning the purpose and impact of technology is at the core of his approach and a guiding principle behind Cujo AI. “That question of ‘why’ is fundamental to everything we do,” he said.

Nuggets of Wisdom from Remco Vas

1. Every single device is a cybersecurity risk, whether it’s a cell phone, smart TV, or even a refrigerator. It’s our responsibility to protect our own data by using secure passwords and managing devices.
2. Data holds immense value, and securing access to genuine data is key.
3. Embracing opportunities to dive deeper into cybersecurity make it possible to stay ahead in the field.

Conclusion: Navigating the AI-Driven Future

Change can hit us before we’re ready, and we have no choice but to adjust. For many of us, artificial intelligence seemed to drop out of the sky one day, and we’re still asking questions about what it can do for us. As we learned from Sofiia and Remco, it’s impossible for a single person or organization to fully understand everything that AI is capable of and can impact. AI is ever-changing and requires an increasing amount of time and effort to manage. It has the capacity to change the world for the better, but only if we make it a priority to understand it and use it responsibly.

The ability to create new content from scratch creates many new possibilities for industries, all the way from e-commerce to content creation, as Let’s Enhance proves. However, it also necessitates an increasing vigilance against misinformation and misuse.

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, AI provides new tools that allow us to scale security measures and protect vast networks of connected devices. Cujo AI’s approach shows us how AI can be harnessed to analyze data in real time to protect our data and privacy. And as technology continues to advance, staying informed will guide us toward a more symbiotic relationship with artificial intelligence.

ONE-MINUTE TAKEAWAY

1. Generative AI: Artificial intelligence encompasses various forms, including symbolic AI used in rule-based systems, machine learning that finds patterns in data, and generative AI, which creates new content. Generative AI, distinct for its ability to autonomously generate novel information, is revolutionizing content creation. By employing algorithms like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), this AI subset empowers applications to improve image quality, automate tasks like background removal, and more, transforming traditionally labor-intensive processes.
2. AI in Cybersecurity: AI plays a crucial role in strengthening cybersecurity measures. AI-driven systems analyze network traffic to detect anomalies, identifying patterns in space and time that indicate potential threats. This scalability in threat detection is unattainable through manual operations. AI can perform packet inspection, focusing on analyzing unencrypted headers of data packets to maintain user privacy while ensuring thorough security.
3. Ethical Concerns: AI introduces several ethical concerns, particularly with dual-use technologies. These tools can enhance security but can also be misused by cybercriminals. Deepfakes, manipulated media, and information manipulation are significant issues. Vigilance and informed digital literacy are essential to discern authenticity and protect against these potential misuses.
4. Challenges in AI Development: Building and maintaining AI systems require substantial resources, including vast datasets for training, significant computational power, and continuous algorithmic refinement. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI models demands ongoing optimization and investment.
5. Educational Opportunities: There are numerous resources available for those interested in learning about AI. Platforms like Coursera offer AI courses by experts such as Andrew Ng, and leading tech companies like Google provide introductory AI courses. LinkedIn Learning and other educational platforms also offer valuable AI training to help individuals gain AI literacy.
6. Call to Action: As AI continues to evolve, it's essential to leverage AI tools to stay ahead. Embrace AI technologies in your personal and professional life to enhance efficiency and innovation. Those who utilize AI will often outpace those who don’t, making it imperative to integrate AI into your skill set.