A Note From the Editor:
As we recently mentioned, we are reposting popular blog posts while Ron is recovering from some health issues. As we watch the rise of AI, here are some books and articles you may be interested in.
Ron’s Short Review: Great view of how our rapidly changing technology and expectations of the next generation of young people are going to change the structures of our corporations. Written way back in 2009, you can see much of this playing out already.
Ron’s Short Review: The shift to technology-based work is pushing us beyond the information age. If you’ve been an “Information Worker” you should learn how to augment technology to keep yourself relevant.
24/7 Connection
We never get away from it. 24/7 we’re connected. Maybe it’s because I spent much of my career without all of this modern connectedness that I’m a little better at managing it rather than it managing me (my wife will laugh at that statement). But, different than many of my younger colleagues, I believe it is ok to shut it off, not answer that phone, don’t respond instantly to that incoming message. I believe it’s because we don’t shut off this connectedness in the evening when we should be focused on family, or weekends when we should be focused on R&R and getting that job-list done or on vacation when we should be re-creating that our work-life balance seems out of whack. Continue Reading >>>
The Need for Empathy
I have been emphasizing the need for strong face-to-face relationship building for years with my corporate clients. One line from Alvin Toffler’s book Future Shock from years ago has always stuck with me. That line was, “High tech, high touch.” His point was not to assume that the increase in technology was going to diminish the need for personal relationships, the need for personal relationships was going to increase right along with the technical capabilities. Continue Reading >>>
Information Overload
Toffler defined “Future Shock” as “A personal perception of too much change in too short of time.” He also coined the term “Information overload.”
His term “high tech, high touch” lead into his discussion of one of the antidotes to dealing with future shock and information overload. His point was that as we deal more and more with this intrusion of the globally connected, instant on, information overload, we must also make sure we increase the “high touch” right along with it. This high tech world will not work without high touch, trusting, and personal relationships. Continue Reading >>>
More Information Isn’t Always Better
Forecasting is another place where I see the siren song of technology creating unintended consequences. The belief seems to be that if we just have more information (often striving for “all” the information) it will help us become better forecasters. Brain science debunks that theory right off the bat. The human mind is just terrible at forecasting. If you want to debate me on that statement, I’ll start with political polls and forecasts. End of argument! And other research done by the people who actually study forecasting for a living tells us that the companies who seem to be best at forecasting do it with a minimum amount of data. More data doesn’t make better forecasting. Continue Reading >>>
Afraid of AI
So, I’m afraid. For the first time in my life, I’m worried about technology running our lives rather than us using technology to enhance our lives. Is ChatGPT the start of it? Timnit Gebru spends her days looking at and learning about what is going on with AI. She expected AI to one day power much of our lives. But she didn’t believe it would happen this quickly. Continue Reading >>>
AI’s Untrustworthiness
While we’ve seemed to hold AI in high regard, let’s keep in mind that it’s unreal, counterfeit, fake, and false. Artificial intelligence is not to be admired, it’s to be looked at cautiously. I was talking with my daughter and son-in-law the other day and saying that I was concerned about kids today believing everything they see and read on their phones as if it were reality. Continue Reading >>>