Tech Seeking Human

The future of life - AI could be the best thing or the worst thing that can happen to humanity.

We have less than 50% probability of society surviving the next 50 years. Max Tegmark, a leading scientist and authority on AI, is adamant that the future we want, is the future we need to design. This isn't science fiction. Max founded the 'Future of Life Institute, which counts Elon Musk and Larry Page as members, to drive a global agenda toward a future where AI helps, not hinders.

The risks are plentiful - we could develop AI systems that 'outsmart us', selfish leaders could create an AI powered nuclear war, but the rewards are even greater. Redistribution of wealth so we can work in jobs we want to work in, healthcare and education could be greatly improved, poverty could be eliminated, and we can do more of what we like doing.

But this reality requires thinking and acting on the possibilities of AI and designing a way to control and work with this technology.  It requires a global shared vision. But getting there doesn't seem as simple as it sounds.

“We’ve been told a lie.” Analysis of quantitive data will tell you what you already know. ‘Humanising data’, shifting from data collection to data understanding, and finding meaning, could make or break your company.

Tricia Wang is a tech ethnographer, studying the behaviour of how people analyze data using technology, and in this podcast she shares some critical stories and best practices for how companies should redefine their approach to data analysis.

In this podcast, so many of the strategies shared by Tricia seem painfully simple, and yet why is it that we don’t practice them. “Get close to the customer.” So many companies say this, but why are they failing miserably at truly understanding what the customer wants, and actually delivering on it.

The big themes that will make you go ‘mmm’;

• Why it’s important to find meaning in your data
• You think you’re close to your customer but are you really understanding and serving their needs, wants and desires
• Reporting overload is at pandemic levels
• The ‘department of the unknown’ might unlock the secrets to the insights you need
• AI needs human to interpret, translate and action.
• ‘The Spatial Collapse’ defines our current work/life/play, but how will it evolve?