Conversational AI Fortune Tellers, Reasoning Models, and the new Gulf of JMP
Howdy????. This week, I’m moderating the World Trade Center Institute’s AGILE series on Technology and Disaster Recovery—an event I’d love to see you at. Regardless of your WTCI membership status, we invite you to join us today Wednesday, February 19th, at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Harbor East. Doors open at 4 PM, so be sure to register and attend.
On a different note, I have an alpha product announcement. For a while, I’ve toyed with the idea of building a Miss Cleo-style AI fortune teller, and I’m thrilled to say it’s finally ready for testing! It’s a wild showcase of just how far conversational AI has come. Try it out—just call Madame Claudette at 504-406-1410, give her a name and a birth month or year, and let the magic unfold.
This isn’t an official product launch (yet), but I’m looking for early clients interested in conversational AI bots for IVR, customer service, marketing, and sales or who want a fun proof of concept. If that’s you, reach out to me and the PerryLabs team at [email protected] (the Perry Labs website is coming soon), and let's see how my team can help.
Also, please give Madame Claudette a ring at 504-406-1410 and let me know what you think! I’m always looking for ideas to make her better.
—jason
Rise of the Reasoning Models
AI is shifting from pure data-driven intelligence to models that can reason and problem-solve with far less training data. DeepSeek’s approach has shown that AI doesn’t need to memorize everything—it just needs to think better. This raises big questions: Is reasoning the future of AI? And what does this mean for how we train and use these systems?
?? Talking Tech: Watch & Learn
Resumes vs. Algorithms: How to Beat the ATS and Get Hired!
Ever wondered why every online recipe comes with a long, unnecessary backstory? That’s SEO at work. But here’s the kicker—it’s happening in the job market too. Your resume isn’t just for hiring managers; it has to get past AI first. Want to know how to beat the system and land that interview? Watch this video to find out how.
?? The Best in Tech This Week
???Humane AI Pin Shuts Down, HP Steps In - To be honest, I’m surprised the?Humane AI Pin?lasted this long.?HP is acquiring the company, possibly giving the platform and some of its team a soft landing. I still believe in?a post-keyboard world, but the AI Pin wasn’t it. Meanwhile,?Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses—essentially a better AI Pin in a different form factor—have been a huge hit.
???NY Times Goes All In on AI - The?New York Times?is embracing AI, rolling out?internal tools, and setting editorial rules?for its use. This seems like the right approach—embrace AI, establish clear guidelines, and enhance team performance. I imagine this is just the first of many newsrooms making structured AI integration the norm.
???AI Is Making Learning Harder for New Devs - Not all AI-assisted learning is helpful. When I spoke at?Stevenson University last week, a professor mentioned that?entry-level developers are over-relying on AI-generated code, and struggling to answer foundational questions. Their solution??Discouraging AI use in computer science courses until the third year—which seems like the right balance between learning fundamentals and leveraging AI effectively.
?? The AI Roadshow: Workshops, Talks & Beyond
Last week was a busy one for AI discussions.?At the?Maryland Technology Council’s Technology Transformation Conference, I joined a panel on responsible AI adoption and data governance, exploring how businesses and policymakers are adapting to rapid advancements. The next day, I guest lectured at?Stevenson University, introducing AI concepts to students and discussing its growing impact on cybersecurity.
Upcoming Talks & Events:
February 19, 2025?– WTCI AGILE: Empowering Global Disaster Response with Tech This week, I’m moderating WTCI’s?AGILE session on Disaster Response & Technology—an essential event for professionals in innovation, logistics, and crisis response. After Wednesday, I'll have more details about the next AGILE event in April—stay tuned! I’ll also be at the WTCI’s Bowe Fellowship, joining a panel of senior marketers to discuss AI’s impact on global branding and sales strategies.
Around Town: I'm always on the move, and these are the events on my radar—whether I'm attending, participating, or simply keeping tabs on the latest happenings.
???Equitech Tuesday?– Baltimore’s monthly tech and startup gathering, bringing together founders, investors, and innovators. If you’re attending any of these or want to connect, reach out—let’s talk AI!
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P.S. Before you go...
If you read my previous article on maps, you know that Google has officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for users in the U.S.?In Mexico, it remains unchanged, and everywhere else, people will now see both names and?Mexico isn’t happy about it.
But MapQuest may have the best solution yet, name it whatever you want!
Introducing: The Gulf of Jason Michael Perry!