June 18, 2024 Protecting Your Phone’s Info against Hacking and Text Leaks Our smartphones are now considered highly valuable possessions because they contain a lot of personal information related to our everyday lives. From private conversations to financial data, our devices hold details that we want to keep private. And it would be like a nightmare if our phones and all their vital info would fall into the wrong hands.  Earlier this year, high-profile cases of hacking and text message leaks were experienced by local celebrities. So, it became clear that anyone’s privacy can be compromised. This guide will help you understand the risks and provide practical steps to protect your phone’s vital information.  Understanding the Risks of Smartphone Hacking  Smartphone hacking can occur in various ways, and understanding these risks is the first step to prevention. On this note, different types of scenarios may compromise your phone.  Understanding the Risks of Smartphone Hacking  Smartphone hacking can occur in various ways, and understanding these risks is the first step to prevention. On this note, different types of scenarios may compromise your phone.  1.) Physical Access. If someone gains physical access to your phone, they can potentially access all data within it, whether they may be people who just snatched the phone away from you or those who know the access credentials to your phone.  2.) Unsecured Networks. Using public Wi-Fi in establishments can expose your phone to hacking attempts.  3.) Malware and Apps. Downloading apps from unofficial sources can introduce malware that compromises your phone’s security.  4.) Operating System Vulnerabilities. Outdated software may have unpatched security flaws that hackers can exploit without you knowing it right away.  Protect your phone from unauthorized access with these strategies:  a) Be wary of the signs. Some signs of phone hacking you need to note include unexpected data usage, unusual activity on accounts, and unfamiliar apps installed on your device. b) Use Strong Locks. Always use a passcode, pattern, or biometric lock to secure your phone. Never share this access code with anyone. c) Two-Factor Authentication. Enable 2FA on all accounts that offer it for an extra layer of security. If possible, have a backup phone that will receive the security-related notifications in case you don’t have access to your primary phone at the time. d) Be Cautious with App Permissions. Only grant necessary permissions to apps you trust. As much as possible, these should only be the ones that you download from reputable sources. e) Secure Messaging Apps. Use apps that can help you send end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages after a set amount of time. f) Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi. This is especially important when you’re doing highly sensitive transactions, such as online banking.    Reference: Hacking and Text Leaks: How to Protect Your Phone’s Vital Info (msn.com) 

June 10, 2024 AI Seoul Summit 2024 commits to global AI Safety Standards The digital world today is all abuzz with Artificial intelligence or AI. This “phenomenon” is sweeping all across the digital landscape and transforming how people live and work. In fact, market leaders leverage this new wave of AI innovation to gain a competitive advantage. On May 21- 22, 2024, international bodies came together in Seoul to discuss the global advancement of artificial intelligence. The international event dubbed as the AI Seoul Summit was co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and the U.K. and was followed on from the AI Safety Summit, held in Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, U.K. last November 2023. Participants included representatives from the governments of 20 countries, the European Commission and the United Nations as well as notable academic institutes and civil groups. It was also attended by a number of AI giants, like OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google DeepMind. One of the key aims was to move progress towards the formation of a global set of AI safety standards and regulations. To that end, a number of key steps were taken: 1.) Tech giants committed to publishing safety frameworks for their frontier AI models. 2.) Nations agreed to form an international network of AI Safety Institutes. 3.) Nations agreed to collaborate on risk thresholds for frontier AI models that could assist in building biological and chemical weapons. 4.) The U.K. government offers up to £8.5 million in grants for research into protecting society from AI risks. U.K. Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said in a closing statement, “The agreements we have reached in Seoul mark the beginning of Phase Two of our AI Safety agenda, in which the world takes concrete steps to become more resilient to the risks of AI and begins a deepening of our understanding of the science that will underpin a shared approach to AI safety in the future.” New voluntary commitments to implement best practices related to frontier AI safety have been agreed to by 16 global AI companies. The so-called “Frontier AI Safety Commitments” promise that: a) Organizations effectively identify, assess and manage risks when developing and deploying their frontier AI models and systems. b) Organizations are accountable for safely developing and deploying their frontier AI models and systems. c) Organizations’ approaches to frontier AI safety are appropriately transparent to external actors, including governments. World leaders of 10 nations and the E.U. have agreed to collaborate on research into AI safety by forming a network of AI Safety Institutes. They each signed the “Seoul Statement of Intent toward International Cooperation on AI Safety Science,” which states they will foster “international cooperation and dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) in the face of its unprecedented advancements and the impact on our economies and societies.” The nations that signed the statement are: Australia, Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States of America. A number of nations have agreed to collaborate on the development of risk thresholds for frontier AI systems that could pose severe threats if misused. They will also agree on when model capabilities could pose “severe risks” without appropriate mitigations. Such high-risk systems include those that could help bad actors access biological or chemical weapons and those with the ability to evade human oversight without human permission. An AI could potentially achieve the latter through safeguard circumvention, manipulation or autonomous replication. Secretary Donelan announced the government will be awarding up to £8.5 million of research grants towards the study of mitigating AI risks like deepfakes and cyber attacks. Grantees will be working in the realm of so-called ‘systemic AI safety,’ which looks into understanding and intervening at the societal level in which AI systems operate rather than the systems themselves. Reference: AI Seoul Summit: 4 Key Takeaways on AI Safety Standards and Regulations (techrepublic.com)

May 30, 2024 Asia-Pacific CEOs look to generative AI to drive growth Artificial intelligence or AI is all the buzz nowadays and the digital world is beaming but somewhat “chaotic” with how this “phenomenon” in technology is revolutionizing the digital landscape. In fact, AI is transforming how people live and work. Market leaders leverage this new wave of AI innovation to gain a competitive advantage. Conscious of its potential to disrupt their own business models, almost all Asia-Pacific CEOs (98%) are making or planning significant investments in GenAI. To fund these investments, 74% are re-allocating capital from other investment projects or technology budgets and 15% are raising new capital. But investing in an AI-enabled future is easier said than done: more than a quarter (28%) of CEO respondents say concerns around the risks of deploying AI is the biggest challenge to making capital allocation decisions on GenAI initiatives. Two-thirds (68%) also believe a surge in companies claiming to have AI expertise complicates decisions about identifying and implementing credible ecosystem partnerships and acquisition targets. Yew-Poh Mak, EY Asia-Pacific Strategy and Transactions Leader, says: “The potential for GenAI to reinvent the way companies operate cannot be ignored, and Asia-Pacific CEOs are making bold investments in the technology to solidify their competitive advantages and future-proof their organizations. However, CEOs know that companies with genuine GenAI capabilities can become game-changing allies or acquisitions, but the relentless hype around artificial intelligence has clouded their view of the landscape.” Despite challenges, CEOs are investing in the future of the workforce to accelerate GenAI initiatives — a majority (88%) have either completed or are in the process of hiring new talent with relevant GenAI skill sets. Many are also establishing pilots and partnerships with multiple companies. As business leaders continue to grapple with macroeconomic headwinds, regulatory changes, and geopolitical volatility, many still anticipate high levels of growth in the near term and are doubling down on investments in R&D and capex. The EY survey reveals that Asia-Pacific CEOs continue to be on the offense when investing for the future, with a clear majority (84%) planning some kind of transaction in the next 12 months. However, M&A deal intentions have dropped significantly, with only 23% of Asia-Pacific CEOs planning M&A in the next 12 months (compared to 56% in July 2023). The appetite to pursue M&A is far higher in the US (52%), reflecting the strong uptick in dealmaking involving US companies seen in 3Q23. Despite the downcast sentiment toward M&A, just over half of Asia-Pacific CEOs (53%) plan to expand operations in the next 12 months outside of their headquartered location. With a strong preference for expansion within the wider region, Asia-Pacific CEOs have identified China, Australia, Japan, India, and South Korea as their top five destinations when asked where they would look to outside of their headquartered market. Reference: Asia-Pacific emerges as the top destination for expansion as CEOs look to generative AI to drive growth, gain competitive advantage | EY – Global

May 27, 2024 Google, YouTube step up to fight misinformation in the country Misinformation refers to incorrect or misleading information. It can exist without specific malicious intent and may include inaccurate, incomplete, or false details. Unlike misinformation, disinformation is deliberately deceptive and propagated with the intention to deceive. Disinformation can cause harm directly or indirectly by undermining trust and obstructing effective communication. Advances in technology and social media have influenced the spread of both misinformation and disinformation, impacting beliefs about communities, politics, medicine, etc. Google and YouTube have announced an intensified effort to combat misinformation, particularly in regions like the Philippines where interest in terms like “fake news” and “misinformation” remains high. According to recent data from Google Trends, the Philippines leads globally in searches related to these topics, underscoring the country’s ongoing interest in addressing these issues. As part of their ongoing commitment to promoting news and media literacy in the Philippines, Google and YouTube have outlined several initiatives aimed at combating misinformation: 1.) YouTube has introduced a content-labeling tool within Creator Studio, requiring creators to disclose the use of altered or synthetic media, including generative AI, fostering transparency and trust between creators and audiences. 2.) Google will publish its #YOUTHink media literacy publication in the Ilocano language to reach more Filipinos across different regions, expanding its coverage beyond Filipino, English, and Cebuano versions. 3.) Users can now prompt the Gemini AI to search for questions or queries, with the option to double-check responses using the built-in Google Search button, promoting critical thinking and exploration of related topics and sources. 4.) Google Search “About This Result” feature is now available in Filipino. This feature provides additional context for search results, helping users understand the source of information and how it’s relevant to their query. 5.) During major breaking news events, a dedicated shelf appears on YouTube’s homepage to provide viewers with immediate access to authoritative news sources. 6.) YouTube displays information panels linked to third-party sources for topics prone to misinformation, such as the moon landing or flat Earth theory, offering users additional context and verification. 7.) YouTube’s policies for content behavior apply to all types of content on the platform, with violations resulting in strikes and potential permanent removal for repeat offenders. 8.) Google conducts capacity-building workshops globally, including in the Philippines, to help media professionals assess information online, having trained over 220,000 journalists across the Asia Pacific. Reference: Google and YouTube ramp efforts to combat misinformation in the country

May 24, 2024 Microsoft, LinkedIn release the 2024 Work Trend Index Report As AI becomes ubiquitous in the workplace, employees and businesses alike are under extreme pressure. The pace and intensity of work, which accelerated during the pandemic, has not eased, so employees are bringing their own AI to work. Leaders agree AI is a business imperative — and feel the pressure to show immediate ROI — but many lack a plan and vision to go from individual impact to applying AI to drive the bottom line. At the same time, the labor market is set to shift and there’s a new AI economy. While some professionals worry AI will replace their job, the data tells a more nuanced story — of a hidden talent shortage, more employees eyeing a career change, and a massive opportunity for those willing to skill up. Microsoft has partnered with LinkedIn for the first time and jointly released its fourth annual Work Trend Index report on May 8, 2024. The aim is to provide a comprehensive view of how AI is not only reshaping work, but the labor market more broadly. Here are the three key findings: 1. Employees want AI at work — and won’t wait for companies to catch up. Three in four knowledge workers (75%) now use AI at work. Employees, overwhelmed and under duress, say AI saves time, boosts creativity and allows them to focus on their most important work. While 79% of leaders agree AI adoption is critical to remain competitive, 59% worry about quantifying the productivity gains of AI and 60% worry their company lacks a vision and plan to implement it. While leaders feel the pressure to turn individual productivity gains into organizational impact, employees aren’t waiting to reap the benefits: 78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work. The opportunity for every leader is to channel this momentum into ROI. 2. For employees, AI raises the bar and breaks the career ceiling. We also see AI beginning to impact the job market. While AI and job loss are top of mind for some, our data shows more people are eyeing a career change, there are jobs available, and employees with AI skills will get first pick. The majority of leaders (55%) say they’re worried about having enough talent to fill open roles this year, with leaders in cybersecurity, engineering, and creative design feeling the pinch most. And professionals are looking. Forty-six percent across the globe are considering quitting in the year ahead — an all-time high since the Great Reshuffle of 2021 — a separate LinkedIn study found U.S. numbers to be even higher with 85% eyeing career moves. While two-thirds of leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, only 39% of users have received AI training from their company. So, professionals are skilling up on their own. As of late last year, we’ve seen a 142x increase in LinkedIn members adding AI skills like Copilot and ChatGPT to their profiles and a 160% increase in non-technical professionals using LinkedIn Learning courses to build their AI aptitude. In a world where AI mentions in LinkedIn job posts drive a 17% bump in application growth, it’s a two-way street: Organizations that empower employees with AI tools and training will attract the best talent, and professionals who skill up will have the edge. 3. The rise of the AI power user — and what they reveal about the future. In the research, four types of AI users emerged on a spectrum — from skeptics who rarely use AI to power users who use it extensively. Compared to skeptics, AI power users have reoriented their workdays in fundamental ways, reimagining business processes and saving over 30 minutes per day. Over 90% of power users say AI makes their overwhelming workload more manageable and their work more enjoyable, but they aren’t doing it on their own. Power users work for a different kind of company. They are 61% more likely to have heard from their CEO on the importance of using generative AI at work, 53% more likely to receive encouragement from leadership to consider how AI can transform their function and 35% more likely to receive tailored AI training for their specific role or function. “AI is redefining work and it’s clear we need new playbooks,” said Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn. “It’s the leaders who build for agility instead of stability and invest in skill building internally that will give their organizations a competitive advantage and create more efficient, engaged and equitable teams.” Reference: Microsoft and LinkedIn release the 2024 Work Trend Index on the state of AI at work – The Official Microsoft Blog

May 23, 2024 Art contests have new category: AI-generated artworks In a previous article for ASI, novelist Stephen Marche said: “Creative artificial intelligence is the latest and, in some ways, most surprising and exhilarating art form in the world. It also isn’t fully formed yet. That tension is causing some confusion.” But he also observed that these images are fascinating but oddly unsatisfying. “Perhaps it’s just that I know they’re inhuman. But the inhumanity does not feel—at least to me, at least not yet—transcendent. It’s amazing that computers made the AI art, but the AI art is not yet amazing in itself,” he explained. AI-generated art has been in existence for a few years now but with recent AI apps, even beginners can create complex, abstract, or photorealistic works by simply typing a few words into a text box. However, when used in competitions, authenticity becomes an issue. Art competitions have seen controversies surrounding the use of AI. Some winners have been accused of copying their works from computer app outputs. The question arises: is this legal or a form of cheating? After all, the work itself is not produced by human hands. There are only clear guidelines on this topic if the organizers classify AI-generated artwork as cheating. However, some questions must be thoroughly observed: How can one detect an AI-generated artwork if the artist is really good at realism and could produce output similar to or not better than his AI-generated reference? Is that not a mind-boggling truth?  AI apps have caused concerns among human artists who worry about their future prospects. They question why people would pay for art when they can generate it themselves. Additionally, these tools have sparked intense debates about the ethics of AI-generated art and have faced opposition from individuals who view these apps as a sophisticated form of plagiarism, a hi-tech cheating at that. Many artists believe that the art world is currently witnessing the decline of artistry due to the rise of AI art. While some argue that AI can be beneficial, they contend that generating art through AI does not qualify as true artistry. In fact, AI art is “oddly inhuman” according to novelist Stephen Marche. Some artists say that using AI to create art is similar to using digital image manipulation tools like Photoshop. They also point out that human creativity is still necessary to develop the appropriate prompts to generate an award-winning piece. Experts say AI is here to stay and will be improving by leaps and bounds in the years to come. The best way for organizers of art competitions is to consider creating another category for AI-generated artworks aside from the standard representational, non-representational, and sculpture categories, which would develop vibrant interests for artists and non-artists alike. This could attract the young creative minds of today. Additionally, organizing an art competition that openly supports AI-generated artwork could spark new interests and a new future for the creative fields. Reference: AI-generated artworks — new category for art competitions (msn.com) 

May 13, 2024 Jobs to disappear, jobs that are safe when AI takes over In a previous article for ASI, it was reported that workers need not fear for their jobs as AI will probably not replace humans in the workplace, at least not yet. In November 2020 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) published a study about the emerging trend.  The study published by the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future entitled “Artificial Intelligence And The Future of Work,” looked closely at developments in AI and their relation to the world of work. The study predicts that AI will continue to drive massive innovation leading to creation of more jobs.  However, a recent article from Daily Mail Australia reported that retail workers and people employed in the food services industry will be replaced by AI as the technology ramps up its takeover of the workforce, an expert has revealed.   The technology is already being used widely across the world in various industries and is designed to replace workers employed to do mundane and repetitive jobs, such as administration work and banking services.  In Australia, generative AI could be rolled out across the country by the end of this year, leaving thousands of workers displaced. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that is trained to do tasks, that a human can such as speak and write in a certain language.   Niusha Shafiabady, an associate professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Charles Darwin University who is an expert in machine learning, said these jobs would be the first to go. “Jobs that rely on humans following pre-existing instructions and don’t need many or any analytical thinking skills will be impacted relatively quickly,” Professor Shafiabady told news.com.  These are the top three jobs that are likely to be replaced by AI: Office Support; Customer Service and Sales; and Food services. Admin jobs will be replaced very easily by AI with workers such as secretaries and those who perform clerical duties, to be affected by the technology.   The retail and sales sector will also be heavily impacted by AI. Service Now and workforce technology expert Pearson, found that nearly a quarter of retail jobs in Australia will be scrapped due to the technology by 2027.  Restaurants and fast food chains already use AI technology to take orders from customers and recommend menu items. Figures by McKinsey found 13% of workers employed in the food services industry in 2022, were forced to find a new job because of automation.  Meanwhile, jobs that involve manual labour such as mining are more likely to fend off the threat of AI. Bricklayers, painters, and supervisors employed primarily in the construction sector to conduct labour intensive work, are unlikely to be replaced by the machine learning technologies.   Professor Shafiabady said designing and then integrating AI technologies, to replace workers employed in these industries will be difficult. “The fact is the cost of hiring for a position such as a construction labourer globally, versus manufacturing and maintaining a robot to do the same thing, means this type of role is unlikely to be displaced soon,” she said.   Reference: The top three jobs to disappear when AI takes over (msn.com) 

May 13, 2024 3 big AI trends to watch in 2024 In his Dec 2023 blog post about AI, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates said: “We are just at the beginning of this transition right now. This is an exciting and confusing time, and if you haven’t figured out how to make the best use of AI yet, you are not alone.”    “Think back to the beginning of the internet. At first, you probably didn’t know many people who were using it, but it became more common over time. Most people had email addresses, bought things online, and used search engines to answer their questions,” he added.   2023 was a major year for generative AI, as it went from research labs to real life with millions of people using it through popular tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. This year, AI is expected to become more accessible, nuanced and integrated in technologies that improve everyday. Here are three important AI trends to keep an eye on in 2024: Small language models SLMs are still quite large with several billion parameters — in contrast to hundreds of billions of parameters in LLMs — but they’re small enough to run on a phone offline. Parameters are variables, or adjustable elements, that determine a model’s behavior. “Small language models can make AI more accessible due to their size and affordability,” says Sebastien Bubeck, who leads the Machine Learning Foundations group at Microsoft Research. “At the same time, we’re discovering new ways to make them as powerful as large language models.” Microsoft researchers have developed and released two SLMs — Phi and Orca— that perform as well as or better than large language models in certain areas, challenging the notion that scale is required for performance. Multimodal AI Most LLMs can process only one data type — text — but multimodal models can understand information from different data types like text, images, audio and video. This capability is making technologies from search tools to creativity apps richer and more accurate and seamless. Multimodal AI is also powering Microsoft Designer, a graphic design app that can generate images based on a description of what you want. And it enables custom neural voices, or natural-sounding voices useful in text readers and tools for people with vocal disabilities. AI in science Experts are anticipating major gains in AI tools designed to speed up scientific discoveries, with much of address climate change, energy crises and diseases. In life sciences, researchers are collaborating on the world’s largest image-based AI model to fight cancer and using advanced AI to find new drugs for infectious diseases and new molecules for breakthrough medicines. The technology is compressing scientific trial and error — work that can take years — into just a few weeks or months. Reference: 3 big AI trends to watch in 2024 (microsoft.com)  

April 24, 2024 The AI Revolution has arrived! The AI Revolution is now upon us! With the rapid advancement in technology, this phenomenon is something to be expected. But, the constant evolution in the digital world is — still taking everyone by surprise!   We are now facing a new wave of technology, centered around AI but including synthetic biology, quantum computing, and abundant new sources of energy. In many respects it will repeat this pattern. Yet it will also depart from it in crucial ways only now becoming clear.   In a Sept. 2023 article for TIME, Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder and CEO of Inflection AI, wrote:  “Amidst all the hype, the hope, the fear, I think the fundamentals are getting lost; the unique characteristics of this wave are getting missed in the noise. Understanding them, seeing what, exactly, is changing, is critical to understanding the future.”  “AI is the most underappreciated aspect of the technological revolution now underway. This is different from previous waves of technology because of how it unleashes new powers and transforms existing power,” he added.   Suleyman said: “While all waves of technology create altered power structures in their wake, none have seen the raw proliferation of power like the one on its way. Previous era’s most powerful technologies were generally reserved to a small capital rich elite or national governments.”  Suleyman further noted that if the last great tech wave—computers and the internet—was about broadcasting information, this new wave is all about doing. We are facing a step change in what’s possible for individual people to do, and at a previously unthinkable pace. AI is becoming more powerful and radically cheaper by the month—what was computationally impossible, or would cost tens of millions of dollars a few years ago, is now widespread.  “These AIs will organize a retirement party and manage your diary, they will develop and execute business strategies, whilst designing new drugs to fight cancer. They will plan and run hospitals or invasions just as much as they will answer your email,” he revealed.  Suleyman further implied: “And it’s coming faster than we can adequately prepare for. This is an age when the most powerful technologies are open-sourced in months, when millions have access to the cutting edge, and that cutting edge is the greatest force amplifier ever seen. This new era will create giant new businesses, empower a long tail of actors—good and bad—supercharge the power of some states, erode that of others.”   Bill Gates thinks AI is “revolutionary”   Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates published in December 2023 a six-page blog post outlining his predictions for the future impact of the AI technology on healthcare, education, and the workforce.  Gates said in his blog post that 2023 marked the first time he’d used AI at work or for “serious reasons.” Compared to previous years, the world has a better sense of what jobs AI will be able to do itself and “which ones it will serve as a copilot for,” Gates said.  Numerous studies conducted this year have tried to pinpoint which skills and sectors would be the most impacted by advanced AI. There’s already evidence that using the tech as a copilot at work can help employees get ahead. Several companies have developed internal AI tools to boost employees while others encourage workers to use publically available technology.  Gates also laid out several medical questions that scientists around the world were trying to use AI to answer. He said the work was ambitious and in an early stage of development. Gates believed that most of it wouldn’t emerge in the next year and some may not leave the lab at all. He said the work was setting the stage “for a massive technology boom later this decade.”   “We are just at the beginning of this transition right now. This is an exciting and confusing time, and if you haven’t figured out how to make the best use of AI yet, you are not alone,” Gates said.  “Think back to the beginning of the internet. At first, you probably didn’t know many people who were using it, but it became more common over time. Most people had email addresses, bought things online, and used search engines to answer their questions,” he added.    References: How the AI Revolution Will Reshape the World | TIME  Bill Gates’s Predictions: AI Will Radically Transform Jobs, Health, Education (businessinsider.com)   

April 23, 2024 AI will probably not replace human workers, at least not yet Afraid that robots are probably coming for your jobs? Fear not, at least not yet. The way artificial intelligence is being portrayed in the media, particularly in some of those sci-fi movies, is creating fear that this technology will one day replace humans in the workplace. After all, as technology evolves, many tasks that were once executed by human hands have become automated. There is growing unease that the direction toward creating intelligent computers could signal the beginning of the end of work as we know it. In her 2021 article for Forbes.com, Ashley Stahl said: “But, I don’t think there is any reason to be so fatalistic. A Nov 2020 paper published by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Task Force on the Work of the Future entitled “Artificial Intelligence And The Future of Work,” looked closely at developments in AI and their relation to the world of work. The paper paints a more optimistic picture.” “Rather than promoting the obsolescence of human labor, the paper predicts that AI will continue to drive massive innovation that will fuel many existing industries and could have the potential to create many new sectors for growth, ultimately leading to the creation of more jobs,” she added. Stahl further noted: “While AI has made major strides toward replicating the efficacy of human intelligence in executing certain tasks, there are still major limitations. In particular, AI programs are typically only capable of “specialized” intelligence, meaning they can solve only one problem, and execute only one task at a time. Often, they can be rigid, and unable to respond to any changes in input, or perform any “thinking” outside of their prescribed programming.”  “Humans, however, possess “generalized intelligence,” with the kind of problem solving, abstract thinking and critical judgement that will continue to be important in business. Human judgement will be relevant, if not in every task, then certainly throughout every level across all sectors,” she added. Stahl revealed: “There are many other factors that could limit runaway advancement in AI. AI often requires “learning” which can involve massive amounts of data, calling into question the availability of the right kind of data, and highlighting the need for categorization and issues of privacy and security around such data. There is also the limitation of computation and processing power. The cost of electricity alone to power one supercharged language model AI was estimated at $4.6 million.” “Another important limitation of note is that data can itself carry bias, and be reflective of societal inequities or the implicit biases of the designers who create and input the data. If there is bias in the data that is inputted into an AI, this bias is likely to carry over to the results generated by the AI,” she added.  Stahl said: “Based on these factors and many others, the MIT CCI paper argues that we are a long way from reaching a point in which AI is comparable to human intelligence, and could theoretically replace human workers entirely.” “Provided there is investment at all levels, from education to the private sector and governmental organizations—anywhere that focuses on training and upskilling workers—AI has the potential to ultimately create more jobs, not less,” she added.  

April 12, 2024 Asia-Pacific firms need AI-backed workers by 2025: IDC report A recent IDC report found that 60% of enterprises in the Asia-Pacific Japan region will need AI-augmented workforces by 2025 to stay competitive. This move will begin a period of growth, marked by greater human-machine collaboration and AI-led innovation. These organizations still on legacy systems will need to modernize their applications immediately to survive and adapt to the digital world already surpassing them. By 2026, they will progress to integrate data and enterprise applications seamlessly, and evolve to run as autonomous businesses by 2028. According to an IDC report, as AI and GenAI technologies continue to take the center stage in today’s digital economy, they not only augment organizations’ productivity, automate repetitive tasks but also redefine roles, thus compelling a shift in the requirements of workforce skills. The report also stated that artificial intelligence (AI) will create an organizational cultural shift and new technology frames will augment 50% of Asia-Pacific workforce by mid-2025, slowly reshaping the enterprise toward more technology usage, enhancing performance. These advancements resulted in a substantial surge in technology buyers’ investments in AI and GenAI driven enterprise software applications to transform their business operations, said the report. Estelle Quek, Senior Research Manager at IDC Asia/Pacific said: ”At the outset, from 2024 to 2025, Asia’s top 2,000 organizations will focus on changing internal perception and receptivity towards human-machine collaboration.” GenAI/AI will close 15% of enterprise talent shortage gaps by 2025, but the practice and usage of GenAI/AI will create a surplus of talent across all lines of business by 2027, the report mentioned. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global market intelligence, data, and events provider for the information technology, telecom., and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based technology decisions and achieve their key business objectives. “AI” or artificial intelligence has become a catchall term to describe any advancements in computing, systems and technology in which computer programs can perform tasks or solve problems that require the kind of reason we associate with human intelligence, even learning from past processes. But what is AI? A straightforward definition from Britannica states that artificial intelligence is “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” In reality, AI is already at work all around us, impacting everything from our search results, to our online dating prospects, to the way we shop. Data shows that the use of AI in many sectors of business has grown by 270% over the last four years. AI And GenAI Technologies: AI-driven transformation to augment 50% of Asia-Pacific workforce by 2025, ET CIO (indiatimes.com) 

April 3, 2024 AI’s Role in the Workplace: HP Work Index Report AI is transforming how people live and work. Market leaders leverage this new wave of AI innovation to gain a competitive advantage. Over the past few years, not only has how we work on a global scale changed, but also how we think about what work is, and what the future of it should look like. HP’s Work Relationship Index (WRI) launched in September 2023, is a global study that offers a new way for society to monitor, measure and gain insights into how employees in various industries around the world feel, what they want, why they crave more satisfying work experiences and how organizations and their leaders must adapt to meet growing expectations. AI is seen as a key to unlocking a better relationship with work – with business leaders and IT decision makers particularly enthusiastic. To increase knowledge worker buy-in around AI – and to leverage the technology to improve work relationships – organizations need to double-down on how AI can support Fulfillment, one driver of a healthy relationship with work identified by the Work Relationship Index. AI can be a key contributor to a core driver of a healthier relationship with work: Fulfillment. Employees have signaled that they are looking for greater meaning in their work – but only a few are consistently experiencing this today. All employee groups believe AI can play an important role in improving not only their work-life balance but also their relationship with work. To a similar extent, employees recognize the potential AI brings to offload tedious tasks and make the workday easier and more productive. Only 28% of knowledge workers say that their work consistently gives them purpose; that they feel connected to the work they do; and that the work they do is meaningful to them.  Business leaders’ critical role is clear: to educate their employees on the possibilities of AI – and take the lead on effectively introducing it. 72% of business leaders are more likely to see AI’s benefits than knowledge workers. Workers in growing economies see AI as a greater source of opportunity and progress than their peers in mature economies. This creates an opportunity for organizations to lean into the benefits that AI can bring to this aspect of inspiring healthier relationships with work. Employees already recognize that AI has the potential to make work more meaningful and enjoyable. While there is appetite for the use of AI, employees harbor concerns about its potential impact on their job security. Younger workers are more likely to see AI as a potential threat to their job security. Nearly half of Gen Z knowledge workers are concerned about their jobs being replaced by AI. The WRI has identified 6 distinct drivers that fuel a healthy relationship: Fulfillment: Purpose, meaning and empowerment at work; Leadership: Empathy and emotional connection from those in charge; People-centricity: Decision-making with people at the heart; Skills: Confidence-building by tapping into the enthusiasm employees have for learning new skills; Tools: The right technology to drive employee engagement; Workspace: Flexibility and trust in where employees work, enabled by seamless transitions.