Serendipity and Learning

 I have written a bit here , but perhaps it calls for a slightly longer post. Recently, I was at a panel discussion and the question of future of work came up. While the other panelists gave a typical view of work, as the last speaker, I was tempted to bring in a different point of view (because why have a panel where everybody is saying the same thing).  So, I shared this dystopian view of work.  In the future, work will happen via long mails, slack (or any other messenger) conversations. The great integration of all communication will happen. And not because of anyone else - because of AI. And you will have a situation where emails are talking to each other via co-pilots, documents are being reviewd, feedback is being taken and given, it is being incorporated. The net result is that work is happening in the background. And none of these co-pilot owners talk to other - atleast not with the articulation and empathy of a human conversation.  In that case, why do we ne...

Up until now, I was of the firm belief that AI wont be able to beat human creativity soon (or never). But seeing results of AI based Chatgpt scores in TTCT makes me rethink.  The Torrance test measures, in its own words, fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration.  Fluency stands for number of relevant responses. Flexibility is number of categories of shifts or ideas.  Originality is number of unusual ideas determined by statistical infrequency Elaboration is ideas beyond the usual necessary for the responses Yes, on the face of it, seems like a brute force AI will work well. Plus we may be tempted to question the test itself which was developed in the 50s.  But to me this is a first breach in the wall that is humans versus artificial intel in a manner of speaking. \ PS: I still feel an AI is no match for a creative human, but who knows

 This is the first generation AI (ok, maybe more, but leave the technicalities aside for the moment). As on date, you can create perfect emails, documents, powerpoint slides and do a lot of things with basic AI. It will only get better as time progresses.  Now for the moment, it is argued that AI will improve productivity - which it might, if you see the copious new emails that will be created and exchanged with attachment runnings into reams.  One person makes the email with AI, another replies, so the human sitting there is just pushing buttons. I am almost reminded of the 90s Ramayana television where the battle between Rama and Ravana was depicted as an "arrow vs arrow" battle. It is hard to explain it - but IYKYK.  So, point being (and this is the continuation of the earlier post in a different manner) - we can create great emails, but we need to learn basic human etiquette. And we are great with words, but miss the comprehension and originality of thought....