Who will become the Wizard of Oz of AI?

Innovations often progress gradually, building upon existing knowledge and technologies. The Model T Ford was an evolution of the horse-drawn carriage, and modern wireless devices stemmed from early wired telephones. Architects leverage cutting-edge tools that are rooted in traditional drafting methods. This evolutionary process raises questions about artificial intelligence (AI) and how to effectively harness its potential. Who is in charge of teaching AI to the masses?

The crux lies in integrating established expertise with novel advancements. How can prompts accurately guide AI systems without comprehensive firsthand experience? How do you prompt the design of a house if you haven't drawn a blueprint? Colleges cannot teach concepts their professors have yet to fully grasp themselves. Seasoned professionals may dismiss a youth's penchant for dismissing traditional wisdom—kind of a “get off my lawn” mentality. But AI has upended this notion. Poorly framed queries yield unsatisfying responses, and AI can occasionally "hallucinate" inaccurate information, necessitating human fact-checking. Again, who checks the checker?

Historically, capable leaders relied on skilled assistants, now potentially replaced by AI agents amplifying one's capabilities. A boss gave orders to a secretary, who performed like a champ. Guess who got the accolades? It wasn’t the secretary. A GPT can make you look pretty smart and speed up creation. I am surprised at how fast I have adapted my thinking. Before AI, I would slow down, draw a mind map, and move forward one concept at a time. What AI has done is make me more discerning. I take inventory and arrange how I want to approach a subject. Then hit the button. The amazing part is that it calculates my general notes and spits out information that would take weeks to do manually.?

I apply the R-I-S-E-N framework.

Roll ? Instruction ? Steps ? End Goal ? Narrowing

Not long ago, we were told that our kids needed to learn to write code. Fortran, Cobol, JavaScript, and C++ were mandatory programming languages. That may be compared to learning Latin in school. Helpful but unnecessary.?

While coding proficiency was once essential, AI can now generate code effectively. Roles like "prompt engineer" may become obsolete as the technology evolves. Foresight is challenging, as evidenced by companies' varying fortunes in ventures like autonomous vehicles and virtual reality. Nvidia just so happens to be playing the right game at the right time. Apple spent big money trying to make a car and recently pulled the plug, Carvana had unfortunate timing selling used cars, and Facebook guessed wrong with the Metaverse. Smart people still lose bets.

Artistically, the art process has been altered. A project starts with an idea, which leads to a sketch. This was followed by an illustration or a painting. That has been replaced by a prompt that gives you 4 examples of finished art in 30 seconds. Taking the time to draw with a pencil seems like driving the Model T.

As AI grows, concerns arise regarding oversight and governance. Legislators, often lacking direct business experience, may struggle to effectively regulate this rapidly evolving domain. There is an age gap. The average age for a congressman is just shy of 60 years old. It’s like music. From what I have experienced, you find your groove when you are in your teen years. What you consider good music is based on that tune that made you close your eyes and bob your head when you were 18. You will live your life taking in new sounds, but that original impression will rule your musical judgment. 50 years ago, disco music ruled the airwaves. Do you want a bunch of BeeGees fans to decide how to regulate AI? I don’t think so.

Ultimately, a "Wizard of Oz" figure may emerge to steward AI's trajectory, though their identity remains uncertain. Will innovators like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, or Jeff Bezos assume this mantle? Or will malicious forces seek to exploit AI's power? Humanity stands at a precipice, transitioning from the metaphorical Flintstones era to the Jetsons at breakneck speed. The pivotal question remains: Will we maintain control, or cede autonomy to AI itself?