AI round-up: Week of September 30, 2024
Let’s talk about the biggest agent to hit the office since Michael Scarn: AI agents.
They’re soon to be everywhere. And that’s our top story in the Big 5. (Note: Please make sure you read this week’s ‘Must read…’)
The big 5
1. Meet the next generation of AI assistants.
This story in Financial Times is just one of many from the past week or so regarding the news that AI agents have arrived. Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft, Workday, Hubspot … these are just the first ones to be on the scene.
But the fact is, we’ve been building towards this ever since we first learned what an LLM was. In fact, Paul Roetzer has been tracking this in detail over the past year and used last week’s AI Show podcast to not only explain further but also call out companies for saying this won’t replace workers because it will. Which takes us to our next story.
2. Billionaire tech CEO says to “stop BS-ing” employees about job loss.
So that’s what he (Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology) says to companies.
Here’s what he has to say to employees (and everyone, really):
“I believe in embracing [AI] and learning and being realistic about it. Because there will be jobs that will be disrupted, there’s no question about that. But, for the most part, I truly believe it will be an enhancer and an accelerator of what we’re all doing.”
3. Everyone calm down. AI is only going to do 5% of our jobs.
And suddenly, an alternative view of AI has emerged. Enter Daron Acemoglu, MIT professor.
AI can’t do everything people say it will, and we’re headed for a crash!
4. Wait just a second….LinkedIn is doing what?!
They are training AI on user data.
You heard me.
5. RIP SB 1047. Now what?
So where does the responsibility lie for AI systems? Ones that could cause cybercrisis issues or are potentially harmful now … or down the road. (Have we learned nothing from social media? Guess not.)
Now, do I think Gov. Newsom should’ve signed this into law? No, probably not. It seems extreme, and I’m not sure you can cast such a big net. But can AI technology companies use this as more of a learning moment and less of a phew moment? Guess we’ll see.
SB 1047 was only one of 37 bills Gov. Newsom reviewed. He did sign 18 of them into law. Find out which ones and what they mean here.
Learn a little
Well, this isn’t something I thought I’d be writing about…
AI bots are attacking websites, slowing them down and driving up cloud costs. Why? Well, they’re out there, on behalf of LLMs, learning, training and answering inquiries.
Read for yourself here. (Business Insider) Definitely something to aware of is your site seems to be moving slow or you see a spike in your bill!
Did you hear about...
…OpenAI now being valued at $150B? (New York Times)
…GenAI making legal actions cheap … and companies need to prepare. (HBR) Don’t tell MIT.
…Google’s AI search summaries officially have ads. (The Verge) Great!
…Three-Mile Island owner wants taxpayer backing for Microsoft AI deal. (Washington Post) Why not.
…Nvidia CEO says demand for next-gen chip is ‘insane.’ (CNBC) Taxpayers better be backing these deals for more energy!
Must Read:
A bottle of water per email: The hidden environmental costs of using AI chatbots.
How much water are we wasting to use ChatGPT?
This article in WaPo is so important to read. I know a lot of the conversation has been around how scary AI is for the future. But what might be the scariest thing of all is the impact it is having right now on our environment.
It’s created an interesting dynamic for me. I enjoy using AI tools … experimenting, showing them off and preparing for the future of work. But I also care a great deal about our environment. And this article shook me to my core. It’s hard to wrap your head around but if you can, even for a minute, it’s a terrifying reality that is not part of the future. It’s part of the present.
Did you miss MAICON?
Don’t worry! We have you covered. On October 8, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., we’ll be meeting in person (as in ‘the same room’) to discuss MAICON takeaways. I’ll share some takes and open the floor to others who attended. Don’t miss the chance to talk AI, hang out and ponder our futures!
You can register now for MAICON 2025, too.
-Ben
As a reminder, this is a round-up of the biggest stories, often hitting multiple newsletters I receive/review. The sources are many … which I’m happy to read on your behalf. Let me know if there’s one you’d like me to track or have questions about a topic you’re not seeing here.