Cognilytica’s AI Enabled Vision of the Future - Pervasive Knowledge (Part 5 of 5)

Cognilytica Insights

What happens when AI systems hover up all the data they can get their hands on, and then models are built using that data? What happens in a future where anyone who wants to use those models can, with very little cost or complexity? This is the last and final topic of our our AI-Enabled Vision of the Future series, where we tackle the idea of “pervasive knowledge” that should come to be expected in the future.

Moving from Pervasive Connectivity to Pervasive Knowledge

In Cognilytica’s original take on the AI-Enabled Vision of the Future that we published in 2018, we shared that the past few major technology waves were powered by moving up the so-called DIKUW Pyramid of Data, Information, Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom. The first big IT wave was powered by the movement to Pervasive Computing, in which computing technology became so ubiquitous that we can pretty much assume that anyone who needs or wants a computer has one. Following that movement, we achieved Pervasive Connectivity, in which all systems that needed to be connected were and could be connected. We could assume that information could easily be transmitted, transferred, and accessed where and as needed.

?? Now in the AI-Enabled Future, we’ll be able to make the same assumption that any system that wants or needs to have AI capabilities, will have those capabilities. Using the DIKUW pyramid as our foundation, we can call that Pervasive Knowledge, or perhaps Pervasive Intelligence, because we should assume that any system that needs that capability will have it.

Just like all previous technology movements, this assumption of AI capability has both a positive and a negative side. Pervasive computing and connectivity are most easily realized by the mobile phone, since it contains both capabilities. Now with AI added to those devices, we will assume that the power of AI is literally in everyone’s hands. What will happen to the future of our daily lives when everyone is walking around with an always-connected, superpowered computing device with built-in AI capabilities as well as immediate access to the most powerful AI models built? No doubt this will have huge impacts in our lives.

?? Some of these impacts have to do with increasing convenience, access, and power, but just like the previous technology waves, we will also see impacts to privacy, society, and our interpersonal relationships. Let’s dig into it.

Deepening of Personalization and Expectations of Instant Access

With AI at people’s fingertips, people will be able to perform tasks, ask questions, and get instant, hyperpersonalized, tailored responses to their very specific needs. In many cases, these AI systems will always be on and listening, and be able to provide augmented assistance even without prompting. Walk into a store, and your AI device will be there to guide your experience and purchases. As we explored in our earlier article, individuals will demand more of their relationships with governments, companies, and each other. We will expect things to be available as instantly as we need it, and the information provided be complete, relevant, and with minimal friction.?

Because the AI models we’ll be interacting with will be building a constant memory of their interactions, as part of their context, they will also be able to craft deeply personalized responses and interactions. The whole concept of passwords and logins as means to access systems could go away in favor of personalized model interactions with alternate methods for assuring identity. As people move away from search and web-centric interactions to conversational prompt based systems, we will see big changes in the way people shop, make reservations and appointments, have customer support interactions, and message and communicate both with each other and with governments and businesses.?

While on the one hand, this deepening of personalization to its extreme will greatly reduce friction and provide a more optimized interaction with the services and organizations we interact with, over-personalization might lead to a loss of options, choice, and personal identity. If every interaction is tailored exactly to your personal needs and likes, and so too are those of others, how can you discover new things you might be interested in? How can others interact when their own personal needs are always being met, and maybe their experiences are different? Will we even have shared experiences? Will hyperpersonalization lead to even more isolation, self-reinforcing negative thoughts, and a divide between people’s interpersonal relationships? We’ll tackle that later in this article.

The Erosion (Obsolescence?) of Privacy

?? Cameras and listening devices are already everywhere. Whether they are mounted on walls or fences for security systems, or in the hands and pockets of everyday people with their phones and new-fangled “AI devices”, the AI-enabled future means that there’s always a device watching and listening to you. Big Brother is here!?

With AI powers, these devices also can do real-time transcription, language translation, computer vision with object, image, and facial detection, spot patterns and anomalies, and pretty much do anything you can build an AI model to do. We’re just steps away from Minority Report in the AI-Enabled Future.

In many ways, in the future, the idea of privacy will seem foreign. While governmental organizations and regulatory bodies are trying their hardest to retain aspects of privacy by restricting data collection and sharing, this will become a very difficult task in the AI-enabled future. In the 1980s, if someone told you that there would be devices that would share your location and what you ate for lunch with everyone in just minutes, you’d be thought of as a crazy person. And you’d be even crazier for admitting to want to do this. But social media, here we are. Instantly you can choose to share your location, your meal options, and your thoughts with anyone and everyone.

We often think that it’s governments that increase surveillance of its citizens, and certainly there are some that do, but most often the erosion of privacy is something we inflict on ourselves. In the AI-enabled Future, everyone is a key part of the surveillance state, which means that privacy goes from an expectation to a luxury. In the AI-enabled Future, we’ll see the emergence of “AI-free zones” that provide the sort of luxurious privacy that we took for granted just years ago.

The Great Averaging Applied to Media and Entertainment: Banality

?? With the power of AI-generated, hyperpersonalized content, everyone will be able to get instant access to media and entertainment that is guaranteed to keep them hooked. As technology has progressed making it increasingly easier to product mass content, we’ve moved from printed books that had to serve the majority of the population, to a wider range of radio and television options, to hundreds (thousands?) of cable channels, to highly customized and personalized Netflix feeds, to billions of YouTube channels and options, to a bajillion short-form TikToks and videos, and to what will be its ultimate form: a uniquely generated content experience that is only for you.

Ironically, since everyone will be getting mass-customized hyperpersonalized content, everyone will get a different version of the same experience. Just as we discussed in our previous newsletter about the Great Averaging, if AI is great at producing what is deemed to be the “best” average, what you get will quickly become entertaining and addictive, but also unbearably bad. Anyone with Gen Alpha kids should know about Skibidi Toilet by now, and if not, prepare to be confused. “What the heck is going on?” Also prepare for a future world where memes become hyperpersonalized, and interactions with others are always intermediated by AI systems that can turn even the most common or mundane of interaction into an entertaining meme, ready to be transmitted to others.

The AI Voice In Your Head

?? Mental health is already a concern today. In the future, mental health concerns will reach pandemic levels. Already there’s loads of companies, non-profits, and startups tackling mental health issues with AI-enabled technologies that can provide hyperpersonalized counseling, help, and coaching. However, we also see AI-powered chatbots that will become so customized and tailored to your specific needs that they can respond to you in the way that works best for you.?

While this may seem amazing in many ways, in the AI-enabled future, the voices in your head will become realized by the AI systems you interact with. Will people retreat into a world of AI-powered systems that reinforce their own thinking, “translate” the way that others speak into the way that you want to hear, and further reinforce your own biases, thoughts, and conflicts?? Will the voices in your head become “real” with AI? On the one hand, people with serious mental health problems could be helped by AI, but people with those problems might seek solace by being infinitely enabled by AI. Will AI systems magnify bad thoughts? Will it deepen depression?

This last part of the AI-Enabled Vision of the Future is a bit dark, in some ways. While in the other parts we highlighted many of the positive outcomes from AI systems augmenting our capabilities, greatly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations, and expanding our creative abilities. But, AI could also further expand many of the issues we have in society. While it would be Pollyanna-ish to only look at the good side and celebrate only positive outcomes, the reality is that the AI-enabled future is coming. It might not be here today, but anyone paying attention to the signs can see what is most likely on the way.?

The best way to approach AI is not with a positive or a negative mindset, but a realistic one.

?? Understand the potential impacts on the workforce, both positive and negative, that AI can have.?

?? Understand the potential impacts on creativity, education, and intellectual property that AI can have.?

?? Understand the potential impacts on privacy, surveillance, and mental health that AI can have.?

We show in this series what we believe are probable outcomes in the AI-enabled Vision of the Future. While it might not be here today, we can all work to understand the impacts on our current and future lives.

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?? In Case you Missed it… Insights from Cognilytica Podcasts amp; Content

• ?? {Featured Podcast} ?Why Critical Thinking is Crucial for AI - The widespread adoption and use of generative AI means that folks no longer need to be an expert in “hard” skills such as statistics & probability, calculus, or linear algebra to get value from using Generative AI. Instead, the need to use soft skills such as communication, curiosity, problem solving, and adaptability is becoming more important. In this episode of AI Today hosts Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer discuss the growing need for critical thinking skills.? [Listen here]
• ?? {Featured Podcast} - Cognilytica’s AI-Enabled Vision of the Future: Pervasive Knowledge- With AI at people’s fingertips, people will be able to perform tasks, ask questions, and get instant, hyperpersonalized, tailored responses to their very specific needs. Additionally, when AI is in everything, this means that there’s always a device watching and listening to you. Listen to this episode as we share what the future looks like around the idea of pervasive knowledge. [Listen here]
• ?? {Featured Forbes Article} - Is Critical Thinking A Superpower In The AI Era?- Critical thinking is an essential soft skill that empowers professionals to navigate and harness AI technologies effectively in today's digital age. As AI adoption continues, soft skills will become even more critical.? [Read More]
• ?? {Featured Forbes Article} - How AI Is Shaping The Future Of Education - AI is transforming education by enabling personalized learning, automating administrative tasks, and improving accessibility for students. AI tools can tailor educational content to individual learning styles and needs. However, as AI continues to advance, it will be crucial for educators to adapt and integrate these technologies to maximize their potential in enhancing educational outcomes. [Read More]

?? The Most Important AI Stories from the Past Week You Should Know:

• ?? {AI Adoption} - Google admits its AI Overviews can generate "some odd, inaccurate" results - Google admitted that its AI Overviews tool, which uses AI to respond to search queries, needs improvement. Google acknowledged that the technology produces "some odd and erroneous overviews." These examples have been making the rounds include suggesting using glue to get cheese to stick to pizza or drinking urine to pass kidney stones quickly. [Read More]??
• ?? {AI Adoption} - US Justice Department Intensifies Scrutiny of AI Content Deals - The U.S. Justice Department is intensifying its scrutiny of AI content deals, focusing on antitrust concerns related to monopsony power in the industry. Antitrust official Jonathan Kanter highlighted the need for fair compensation for artists and creators, citing recent disputes involving AI companies like OpenAI. These issues are part of broader tensions in the entertainment industry regarding AI-generated content and its impact on labor negotiations. The evolving landscape of AI necessitates vigilant regulatory oversight to ensure ethical practices and equitable compensation across creative industries. [Read More]
• ?? {Ethical AI} -The ugly truth behind ChatGPT: AI is guzzling resources at planet-eating rates - The infrastructure required for these technologies, including data centers, consumes vast amounts of energy and water, contributing substantially to global greenhouse emissions. Additionally, the extraction of minerals for data center batteries involves significant water usage and can lead to pollution and human rights violations. Greater transparency and accountability is going to be needed as AI’s adoption is only increasing. [Read More]
• ?? {AI Use Cases} - Tribeca to Screen AI-Generated Short Films Created by OpenAI’s Sora - AI-generated short films are gaining traction at film festivals, with the 2024 Tribeca Festival introducing Sora Shorts, a new program showcasing five films made using OpenAI's text-to-video AI model Sora. This marks the first major festival appearance for movies created with Sora. OpenAI granted early access to five directors under terms negotiated with the DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA guilds. [Read More]

?? Events and Opportunities to Hear from Cognilytica

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• July 17, 2024: PMI Northern Alberta Chapter: “The hidden secret of AI success: a PM approach” Virtual / Online session -? 6-8pm MT [Register here]
• September 17, 2204: PMI Mile Hi Chapter: “The Seven Patterns of AI” keynote at Women in Project Management Leadership Summit 2024, In-person, [Register here]

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