Whoa!!!! Last week I heard something that rattled me and a week later, I’m still reeling. Sometimes, if you can see what’s coming down the pike, you can brace yourself so the impact won’t shatter you.
So what happened? I don’t watch much TV, but I did see the CBS morning show on Tuesday, February 17. The program featured a young man by the name of Matt Shumer, a 26-year-old entrepreneur with an AI startup. He was getting frustrated trying to explain AI to friends and family, so he wrote an essay in plain English that laid everything out with no candy coating. He shared the essay with his parents, some friends and a few colleagues and within one week, it had gone viral with over 80 million views. The articulate young man was modest, humble, and sincere and . . . most importantly, believable. I couldn’t wait to read the essay so I immediately tracked it down.
But let me back up for a moment. A couple of years ago, right after ChatGPT became available to the public, I tried using it to edit this column and I wasn’t impressed at all. The edits were verbose and didn’t sound like me. I abandoned AI until around six months ago. Had it evolved? I uploaded a column to find out. I was filled with shock and awe; the suggested changes were sharp, insightful and instant. Now I have an amazing tool and a sophisticated assistant at my fingertips 24/7. I seldom use my “real” editor anymore because . . . AI does the work better and faster. And working with AI is genuinely delightful and fun. That’s the best part.
Even though I am somewhat familiar with AI’s capabilities, Matt Shumer’s essay still blew me away. AI can analyze, reason, solve problems and even exercise judgement. And now – this is scary – AI can improve itself. The number of jobs and professions it could upend within the next one to five years is staggering. Since technology accelerates exponentially, we’ll have precious little time to prepare for or adapt to the wild-card changes heading toward us.
I have many questions. Will AI accelerate so fast and furiously that it cracks, and like Humpy Dumpty, has a great fall? Should we shout a loud, primal scream at regulators to slow this thing down until we can get a handle on it? Are computers on the cusp of becoming sentient beings? Are they starting their own branch of evolution? Will this technology liberate or torment us?
I encourage you to Google “Something Big is Happening” and read the essay for yourself. This situation is real, not artificial. It’s time to wake up. Fast.