The calm after the AI storm...or not?

Late in 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT. For some, it was a development that came out of nowhere. For those working in the technology and especially the AI space, it was a gigantic leap following many decades of steady progress.

Either way, what we've seen in the first half of 2023 is, to use an over-used word, unprecedented.

In past centuries, the way we live and work has evolved more slowly and progressively.

Even in recent times, the advent of the PC, the internet, the cloud...has been at a more steady and methodical pace.

But in just a few months, questions that weren't on the radar of strategists and well, anyone and everyone, have now become mainstream conversation:

• Which jobs will AI replace?
• How will AI be used in industry? How and where do we invest? Should we build or buy?
• Is AI able to replicate human emotions?
• How do we deal with and overcome AI bias?
• Should I learn about AI? If so, what and how?
• Will robots take over the world and destroy us humans?

...and many more...

What just happened?

In a nutshell, a culmination of decades of R&D, advances in hardware and many light-years worth of effort with software has allowed AI to become a mainstream reality.

That it has happened so quickly, with such a significant impact, was hard to see coming.

For tech nerds like me, it's exciting. In reality this pace is both unsustainable and dangerous if we get swept up in the hysteria.

Not that we shouldn't be excited, we should be. With a sensible and measured approach.

What happens next?

Everyone, including myself, are desperately peering into the crystal ball we have tucked away. The same one that didn't see any of this coming. Nor can it pick the lottery numbers. Alas we don't give up.

Purely as an Op-Ed, my thoughts are:

• Like jumping into a cold pool, we've survived the fright and can now focus on a more organised and purposeful progression
• It remains to be seen if AI can replicate all the attributes to make it truly human, or not (I think it'll be close but not quite)
• Industry will continue to adjust - how services are delivered, products are created, which jobs won't exist, and which will be complimented by AI
• Soon there will be a realisation how expensive AI is, and instead of a competition to show off the next amazing idea we'll see a focus on delivering effective AI for a much lower cost
• The big players (Microsoft, Amazon, Google etc, and associated investments) will win due to the huge investments
• Smaller players likely won't survive, there are too many of them solving much the same problem(s) using the same underlying technology while trying to make money
• Governance of AI will remain an ongoing pursuit

I'm confident AI will make our lives (work, home, social) better, but we need to navigate through the hype and focus on what will be sustainable in the longer-term.

Image created by MS Bing Image Creator. Words are written by a real human (trust me!)

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