Source: The Wall Street Journal
Date: April 28, 2023
Greg's Words
I remember the time I sold a PC, WordPerfect, and an HP Laser Series II to a legal assistant in a one-man lawyer office, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. On her desk was an IBM Selectric. She was proud of her ability to type four to five custom letters in 45 minutes; she was VERY good at her job and ran the office with razor-sharp efficiency.
Cutting edge, she convinced her boss to purchase a new contraption(IBM PS/2, AT?) to help her do more.
Her eyes lit up as letter after letter crept out of the LaserJet - blazing eight pages per minute. She was giddy.
Suddenly, like a cloud drifting over the blueberry fields of Imlay City, her smile dissolved into shadow and I swear the blood rushed out of her cheeks. Her cheer was supplanted by Doom. She suddenly saw the whole of the Moon; her job, lifestyle, and future were shockingly in question. Obsolete.
Reading the Wall Street Journal entry by Joanna Stern, brought me back to that rainy, Mid-Michigan day in 1989. Technology is so cool, it's Cold.
"AI Joanna" is the HP Series II of the day, a creation utilizing readily available resources producing less-than-perfect results. Time is compressing, from 'normal' to 'AI Time', years are months, days hours and although AI Joanna is not 'perfect', somewhere in the wild, today, there is a perfect Replicant giving a local newscast or weather report.
We've put together a quick summary of the article.
Enjoy!

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