Tucker Carlson leaves Fox. Lemon Blindsided by CNN, is Out

Anchors aweigh? More like anchors away!

Winds of change do blow,

Media's shifting tides sway,

Anchors lost, new paths.

Greg's Words

Not much to say here.  Reasons aside, change is in the air like never before in every area of interest; from news media to manufacturing to Office Technology.  The Fear of Covid, remote and the return to the office movements, and AI will contribute to and accelerate the rate of transformation on a Universal plane.

Wild ride for the foreseeable future.

Executive Summary:

1. High-profile departures at Fox News and CNN
2. Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon both ousted
3. Implications of a changing media landscape

Fusion, AI, and Voluntelling: A Tale of Unlikely Connections

When Artificial Intelligence Meets the Art of Voluntelling

Fusion, AI rise,

Voluntelling binds them tight,

Threads of progress weave.

In a world where groundbreaking technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and fusion energy are taking center stage, it's easy to overlook the most potent force of all: the mysterious art of voluntelling. Yes, you read that right - voluntelling, the age-old workplace tradition where managers magically transform voluntary tasks into obligations. One moment you're sipping coffee at your desk, and the next, you find yourself organizing the annual office party without a say in the matter. It's like being teleported into a parallel universe where choice is but an illusion, and your fate is sealed with a calendar invite.

But how does this relate to the lofty ambitions of AI and fusion energy, you ask? Well, dear reader, the connections between these seemingly unrelated topics are as intricate and surprising as an office potluck where everyone unexpectedly brings quinoa salads. 

In the following article, we'll explore the subtle threads that weave together the worlds of advanced technology and workplace voluntelling, revealing the unexpected ties that bind them. So, buckle up and grab a spoonful of quinoa, as we embark on a thrilling journey through the hidden connections between fusion, AI, and the delicate dance of voluntelling.

_________

The Jousting of AI Titans: Google and OpenAI

In a world of smart machines, who will outsmart whom?

At the heart of this thrilling battle lies a fundamental question: What is the true purpose of artificial intelligence?

Greg's Words

Inevitable.  I've heard this era of AI/ChatGPT as an "iPhone moment" meaning that AI is being mass-accepted like the iPhone was in the very beginning.

But there's more - AI has been referred to as "the most significant technological advancement in human history".  This is huge, not like analog to digital copiers.  More along the lines of discovering fire or inventing the wheel.  We are at a fork in the road, "this is the most important fork humanity has reached in over 100,000 years on our planet...We're building, effectively a new species..."(Max Tegmark, Lex Freidman podcast, Ep #371)

It doesn't get much 'headier' than that, does it?

So today, Google is squaring off against Microsoft in the battle of the AIs.

We submitted four separate articles to the AI in the Sky and requested a 1,110-word reflection on the AI battle as it stands today.

Enjoy.

Executive Summary:

1. Google merges Brain and DeepMind to intensify AI research.
2. Company races to build AI-powered search engine in response to ChatGPT.
3. Google Bard AI and Jasper AI compete in the realm of language models.

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The AI Sales Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping the Sales Landscape

When AI and Salespeople Join Forces: Unstoppable Sales Machines

Greg's Words

To all my copier, IT, managed print services, and IT services brothers and sisters - The way your prospects purchase is changing right now. 

Your world is going to change; for better or worse, it is going to RADICALLY alter everything you do.  You have a choice, today, that will determine if it is better or worse.

I've seen transformation before - from typewriters to PCs, from receptionists to voice mail to email to IM to the internet.  I can see patterns only because I've lived through them.  I remember a time before 911, the Great Recession, the Fear of Covid, and the mass acceptance of AI. 

This is the big one. But there is a significant difference.  

This time, instead of change occurring over a decade, like the PC boom; rather than the half-decade-long journey from 'interwebs' to the internet, unlike the four-year turn from no social to everything social, and contrary to a 24-month move from cubicle to the second bedroom, this transformation is measured in hours and days.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November of 2022, hundreds of new apps have been developed to work with OpenAI.  Venture capital is pouring into new, AI firms in Silicon Valley, Microsoft threw in 11 billion dollars of its own, and Alphabet issued a "Red Alert" drawing battle lines in the metaphoric sand.

I implore you to use AI in your everyday functions.  Today, you can generate a customized thank you email, a 2-page proposal, a needs assessment survey, and a findings document in less time than it takes to get the copier warmed up.

And they won't be templates.  The documents will contain whatever numbers, findings, and recommendations you discover and generate. From your notes to finished, personalized and specific documents in minutes.

There's so much more, but you've got to get in and wrestle with AI on your terms.  The technology is malleable, like clay, waiting for you to create.

Executive Summary:

• AI is transforming sales by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining processes, and increasing efficiency.
• Sales professionals are adapting to the new AI-driven landscape, focusing on relationship-building and strategic thinking.
• Despite concerns about job loss, many experts believe AI will complement human skills rather than replace them.

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The Turbulent Truth: Climate Change and Airborne Chaos

Climate change may be bad, but don't blame it for your bumpy flights just yet.

Greg's Words

"Climate Change" is a crock. It always has been; different names, same narrative.  

It started with the best intentions - stop littering, "Give a Hoot.  Don't Pollute", 1970.  But as the world moved away from the Evil Empire, AKA The Communist Threat of the USSR, the search for the next 'great threat' went into full gear.  

The Ice Age of the 70s, Acid Rain in 1980, Hole in the Ozone in 1987, "The Oceans will be dead in 10yrs", 1988, The Oceans will rise and flood New York City, 1988, the arctic will be ice-free by 2015, on and on.

Don't get me wrong, mankind impacts the environment yet just like the death of Lake Erie in the 1960s, the death of mankind has (always) been exaggerated.

A few weeks back, climate experts were pitching the notion that climate was responsible for the increase in the number of home runs in the MLB.  So it was with piqued interest I engaged with the WSJ article, "Heavy Turbulence on Flights Is Likely to Get Worse" (PW).  Two articles in as many weeks connecting dots with climate change - I detect a whiteboard adorned with a narrative timeline.

Recently, climate experts posited that climate change played a role in the surge of home runs in MLB games. Intrigued by this claim, I delved into the WSJ article, "Heavy Turbulence on Flights Is Likely to Get Worse" (PW). Encountering two articles in quick succession linking seemingly unrelated phenomena to climate change - I sensed a whiteboard adorned with a narrative timeline.

I know, I know, Climate Change is real.  And UFOs are fake.  It's hard to deny. But these reach-around articles, from the Wall Street Journal no less, are getting hard to ignore.

So we threw four articles at the AI in the Sky, custom-built a prompt, and let it go.

Enjoy.

Executive Summary:

• Media sources commonly attribute increased turbulence to climate change.
• Scientific data and research reveal a more complex relationship.
• Other factors, such as jet streams and natural weather variations, contribute significantly to turbulence.
• Misleading conclusions may detract from focusing on the real issues at hand.

 ________

The Cost of Progress: AI Regulations and the Erosion of Innovation

Bureaucracy and AI: A Match Made in the Cloud

Freedom takes a hit,

AI regulations loom,

Innovation weeps.

Greg's Words

No. No. NO.

This is a really bad idea and if implemented sets back the freedom of speech and puts the entire media, news reporting, and the distribution of facts, back 100 years.

The truth will be what they want us to believe.  You know this. You've seen a glimpse - no matter what side you are on, when a government entity can call up a media outlet and tell them what to say, the freedom of the press dissolves and we citizens are at best lulled and at worst sent off to the re-education camps.

The 911 Act was bad enough; it sounded great that all the alphabet agencies share data, sure, but the FBI given jurisdiction in foreign lands?  A no-fly list? I'm still required to take my shoes off?  When do we retire the TSA? 

Never.

I don't think AI should be regulated because it stifles creativity and promotes a narrative.

I think the platforms should be considered just like the phone companies - it is just a wire.

And after watching the FB and TT hearings, I am more than convinced our elected officials do not know sh$t about technology.

And you want BIDEN making recommendations on AI?  Are YOU that big of an ID 10T?

We put the big AI in the sky in the question.

Enjoy.

Unseen Connections: The Intricate Webs of AI, Gender, and Remote Work

We are all tangled up, but it's not as bad as it seems

Haiku:

Threads of tech and life,

Interwoven in the age,

Modern tapestry.

Greg's Words

I've finally done it.  I fed the great big AI in the sky FIVE different articles, asked it to digest and write a piece connecting the concepts and information contained within each.

The article titles reflect AI's impact on image generation, the scientific distinction between sex and gender, Gen Z, remote work, and ethical AI. 

It worked. Quite the web of interest.

We are passing into a new age of technology, which includes social shifts, and the way we work. It seems our view of life has become more clear than ever before - In the olden days, hierarchies were important and drove mankind into many different 'ages'; fire, steam, industrial, electric, up to semiconductors and microchips.  The old ways built skyscrapers - cathedrals of human resources, churning out the paper by the ton. The nine-to-five drudgery was accepted, expected, and glorified in phrases like "work hard, and you'll make it", "it's a numbers game, kid. Remember that." and "sure it is a nine to five, but we expect you in at 7AM and still see your face at 7PM, that's how we move people up the ladder" - indeed, "up the ladder" was the mantra.

And we kept our noses down.  Did our job without looking left or right - if we happened to look, we saw a clone of ourselves, working.   And our processes never crossed lanes; everything occurred in a vacuum, the universal connections hidden.  We were happy "mushrooms".

Today, we are witnessing the breakdown of traditional hierarchies and structures as the old ways give way to the new. The shift from the Piscean age to the Aquarian age is becoming increasingly evident. In the world of business, conversations now revolve around a diverse range of topics, including remote work, artificial intelligence, sexual harassment, fake news detection, and productivity. Despite their apparent diversity, these issues are interconnected and create a complex web of seemingly unrelated problems.