Waring: AI tsunami coming

The tremendous expansion and innovation in today's AI space resembles a tsunami, increasing in power and intensity as it approaches shore. And like those spectators on land that failed to seek shelter on higher ground, individuals today who have not incorporated AI technology into their daily workflow will be swept away by the overwhelming competition in the marketplace that this technology will create.

Early warning?signs

One of the early warning signs of an approaching tsunami is a sudden recession of water at the shoreline. Today, more and more companies and governments are investing billions in AI research and infrastructure. For example, in an annual letter to shareholders, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan highlighted concerns that artificial intelligence will have a profound impact on society. JPMorgan currently has over 2,000 AI and machine learning employees and data scientists working on 400 applications covering fraud detection, marketing, and risk management. Today many live tellers at Chase Bank locations have been replaced by automated teller machines (ATMs). The bank's recent investments in AI technology will no doubt result in significant staff reduction.

JPMorgan is just one of many Fortune 100 companies exploring the benefits of incorporating AI technology into their corporate infrastructure. This tidal wave of AI adoption will result in greater efficiency and productivity with reduced manpower. The time to head to higher ground is now.

Head for higher?ground

If you aren't using AI technologies like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Midjourney, Dall-E, or the recent AI implementations in Microsoft 365 or Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, to mention a few, you should be a great swimmer or own a submarine. The AI tsunami is on its way, and millions of people will lose their jobs as a result. There is no time for complacency or procrastination if you wish to learn useful AI skills.

Japan 1979

While working in Japan, I witnessed the early warning signals of a technological tsunami. I was employed as a copywriter to work at Pioneer Electronics. Pioneer was introducing their newly designed optical laser technology, which could store audio, video, and digital information on a CD-ROM. I was tasked with introducing this cutting-edge technology to consumers in an 8-page brochure. This was the catalyst for my lifelong interest in computing technology.

Seeing computer technology on the horizon, I made it my mission to acquire one when I returned to the United States the following year. Unfortunately, personal computing technology was still in its infancy. The Commodore PET, Tandy TRS 80, and Apple II were among the early products at the time. I wasn't impressed. In 1981, the IBM PC made its debut. It irrevocably altered the PC scene by creating a de facto industry standard operating system: MS-DOS. Revile computer brands running alternative operating systems such as CTOS, LDOS, Zenix, P/OS, Unix, and AmigaOS lost the interest of software developers, who began producing software for the now-ubiquitous IBM PC. This altered the personal computer landscape to its current state.

Lessons learned

My first computer was a DEC Pro 350 which I purchased in 1981 for about $10,000. The purchase included the LA-50 dot-matrix printer and stand. The computer was marketed as a business computer since Digital Equipment Company's primary customers were major corporations. My close friend who worked at DEC sold me on the computer's merits, including a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system, the capacity to connect three user terminals, and ethernet connectivity. This computer should have been the market leader given its superior specifications and hardware engineering. Unfortunately, this computer, despite all its superior qualities, fell victim to the IBM PC's popularity.

This experience taught me that even the most innovative or well-designed items or technologies do not always achieve market leadership. IBM was able to outmarket the competitors by using its strong brand image and large advertising expenditure. IBM was also successful in tying up industry supply chains with huge orders, making it harder for competitors to get parts inventory for their product lines. Some of these scenarios may play out today in the AI sector, determining who will eventually attain market domination and defining the future direction of AI technology.

The takeaway

The current landscape of AI technology is dominated by Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning, and sophisticated algorithms. Acquiring proficiency in using this technology, including GPTs and generative AI, can solidify your career prospects. Yet, an additional factor could transform the AI terrain: a substantial technological breakthrough leading to an industry-wide paradigm shift. Companies possessing both the financial resources and foresight to invest in the "long game" will play a major role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence technologies.

For example, when Pioneer Electronics debuted the LaserDisc in 1979, they anticipated that optical disc storage would become an industry in ten years?-?the long game. State-sponsored initiatives by countries like China, North Korea, and Japan can have a significant impact on the future of AI. Examples include Japan's superior robotics technology and China's 5-nanometer chips from Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC), to name a few.

Predicting the future trajectory of AI technology is a difficult undertaking, if not impossible. It may be safe to assume that the current state of AI is starting to converge at AI 2.0. The next significant advancement will be AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). No matter what shape or course the AI space takes, the time to prepare for the coming AI tsunami is now!