Category: Economics
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On Napoleons and Caesars, and Hope beyond the Bag of Wind
It’s not quite been a week since the election in the US. Some I know wanted to stay up to see the result in; I had a suspicion that a few more hours of ignorance-in-bliss might be best. There was no joy in being right. Neither, I have to admit, was I ever particularly excited…
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Not OK, Computer?
“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” – AI Training Statement / https://www.aitrainingstatement.org/ Over 11,000 artists, writers, actors, musicians and others in the creative industries have signed the above statement, expressing their opposition…
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AI and the Future of Work – Lessons from History
Just this week Carl Frey gave a presentation on ‘AI and the Future of Work – Lessons from History’ at a conference organised by Georgetown McDonough School of Business’ Center for Business and Public Policy. Frey is at the Oxford Internet Institute and really is a world-leading thinker on AI impacts, and this lecture is…
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Prime Turkeys helping sharpen the Christmas carving knives?
Fascinating piece in The Observer this weekend, written (beautifully) by a journalist who works for one of the big AI companies, providing ‘gold standard’ examples of writing to help train their Large Language Model, and improve their Chatbot’s answers. (Thanks to excellent writer-buddy Paul for passing it on). The gut reaction to this for me…
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Greenbelt, why AI might be making us stupid, and booking AI training…
Was great to be at Greenbelt Festival talking about the new book, and speaking on a panel about AI and Earthly Futures. Both were recorded, and I’ll post links once they’re available. I mentioned in the talk and the panel the vital need for us to take more radical responsibility for our technology use (and…
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A Continental AI Strategy for Africa
Very interesting discussion this morning with Rachel Adams from the African AI Observatory. Rachel is based in South Africa and has been a leading figure in putting together the Continential AI Strategy published just last month by the African Union. She’s written a paper about it with Ayantola Alayande here. You’ll be able to watch…