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How AI Can Make Generalists as Valuable as Specialists
OpenAI loses some key members, FTC cracks down on AI, Sora to get new updates and more!
Everyday AI
September 26, 2024
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Sup y’all 👋
We tried a slightly different approach in today’s ‘Leverage AI’ section.
The ‘Leverage AI’ is the section at the end of each newsletter where we break down insights from each day’s episode. (Make sure to click ‘view message’ as our long normally usually gets clipped.)
We sometimes take different approaches in how we distill all that info.
TBH, this is kinda our secret sauce. There’s a bajillion AI newsletter that all do the same dang thing. Super cookie cutter.
We’re different in that we bring you exclusive insights, interviews and deep dives every day, then break it all down in the newsletter.
So, which approach for the ‘Leverage AI’ section do you wanna see more of?
Which approach should we take for the 'Leverage AI' section? |
Preciate y’all!
✌️
Jordan
Today in Everyday AI
7 minute read
🎙 Daily Podcast Episode: Will specialists cease to exist with AI? Are generalists now on par with specialists? We break down how AI is impacting the workforce for us all. Give it a listen.
🕵️♂️ Fresh Finds: Meta AI has almost 500M users, Runway offers $1 million for an AI movie, NASA and IBM make an AI model together and Nintendo plans to avoid AI? Read on for Fresh Finds.
🗞 Byte Sized Daily AI News: Major OpenAI execs leave the company, FTC cracks down on AI deception and Sora is set for an upgrade. For that and more, read on for Byte Sized News.
🚀 AI In 5: We’re reviewing Meta’s new LLM Llama 3.2 and showing you how you can download it to your device. See it here
🧠 Learn & Leveraging AI: Has AI leveled the playing field for generalists? Are specialists still… special? We break down AI’s impact on the workforce for generalists and specialists. Keep reading for that!
↩️ Don’t miss out: Did you miss our last newsletter? We talked about Meta Llama 3.2, ChatGPT Advanced Voice mode explained, EU AI pact, Microsoft's new correction feature. Check it here!
How AI Can Make Generalists as Valuable as Specialists 🤩
Is the age of the specialist over?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Forget everything you thought you knew about expertise.
Ian Beacraft, CEO of Signal and Cipher, says AI is flipping the script—putting generalists on par with specialists.
We discuss how this shift is about to shake up the workforce.
Join the conversation and ask Jordan and Ian questions on AI here.
Also on the pod today:
• Specialist vs. Generalist 🤔
• Mid-Career Paradigm Shift 🔀
• Career Adaptation and Learning 🧑🏫️
It’ll be worth your 33 minutes:
Listen on our site:
Click to listen
Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform
Listen on:
Here’s our favorite AI finds from across the web:
New AI Tool Spotlight – BeforeSunset is a personalized AI daily planner, Outspeed is a platform for real time voice and video AI and Neolocus is an AI rendering service for designers.
Meta – During Meta Connect 2024 Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta AI has almost 500 million users.
AI Tool updates — NotebookLM, Google’s impressive LLM-powered tool, now supports YouTube links and .mp3. We think it’s REALLY good.
People don't believe me when I say NotebookLM is a top AI tool.
It is.
It's sooooooo good.
— Jordan Talks Everyday AI (@EverydayAI_)
6:18 PM • Sep 26, 2024
AI Video – Runway has announced that it’ll give filmmakers $1 million if they use AI to make their movie.
Video Games – Nintendo said that it wants to avoid the AI fads and stick to its “originality.”
AI collabs — NASA and IBM are teaming up to create an open-source AI model to analyze the climate and weather.
AI Startups – Visa has agreed to buy AI payments protection firm Featurespace.
AI Tech – The Rabbit R1 only has 5,000 daily users.
Money in AI - With the FTC’s recent AI crackdown, one company, DoNotPay, is being fined $193,000 for misleading consumers.
LLMs - Hugging Face now has 1 million models on its platform.
1 million models on Hugging Face
— AK (@_akhaliq)
2:24 PM • Sep 26, 2024
1. OpenAI's Leadership Shakeup: Multiple Executives Leave 🚪
In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI's CTO Mira Murati has announced her departure from the company, alongside chief research officer Bob McGrew and VP Barret Zoph, just days before the annual Dev Day conference.
Murati, who played a pivotal role in the launch of groundbreaking technologies like ChatGPT and DALL-E, expressed her desire to explore new opportunities while ensuring a smooth transition for the team. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the rapid growth and challenges within the company, emphasizing that leadership changes are a natural evolution.
2. FTC Cracks Down on AI Deception 🧑⚖️
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against multiple companies leveraging artificial intelligence for misleading practices that harm consumers. This includes allegations against DoNotPay for falsely claiming to be a "robot lawyer," and online schemes like Ascend Ecom and Ecommerce Empire Builders that promised easy riches through AI-powered storefronts but left many in financial ruin.
The FTC's crackdown highlights the urgent need for accountability in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, reminding consumers that not all that glitters in the tech world is gold. As these enforcement actions unfold, they signal a pivotal moment for honest businesses and innovators striving to thrive in an increasingly complex market.
3. OpenAI Transitioning to a For-Profit Corporation💰
OpenAI is planning to transition into a for-profit benefit corporation, shedding the control of its non-profit board to attract more investors. This restructuring could elevate its valuation to a staggering $150 billion and allow CEO Sam Altman to gain equity for the first time, a significant shift considering his previous stance on ownership.
While the non-profit will retain a minority stake, this pivot raises questions about governance and AI safety amidst leadership changes at the company.
4. Meta Unveils Neural Interface for AR Glasses 🕶
At the Meta Connect 2024 conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed a groundbreaking wrist-worn neural interface designed to control the company's prototype Orion AR glasses. This device, inspired by technology from CTRL-labs, allows users to navigate apps simply by gesturing, merging brain signals with augmented reality experiences.
While the Orion glasses are still in concept form, their potential integration with Meta's existing AR hardware could reshape how we interact with digital content.
5. OpenAI's Sora Set for an Upgrade 🎥
OpenAI is revamping its AI video, Sora, originally showcased in February, to generate longer and higher-quality clips at a faster pace. The first iteration faced criticism for style inconsistency and lengthy generation times, prompting the company to gather millions of hours of high-resolution footage to enhance performance.
As the AI video landscape heats up with new competitors from China and partnerships like Runway ML's collaboration with Lionsgate, this upgrade could significantly impact content creators and marketers looking for advanced tools.
6. Meta Stock Soars to All Time High 🤯
Meta shares skyrocketed to a high of $577 after the company unveiled its ambitious AI plans at the Meta Connect 2024 event. Despite a slight dip to around $564 mid-morning, the significant stock surge reflects strong investor confidence, buoyed by innovations like the Llama 3.2 AI model and new augmented reality products.
Analysts are optimistic, indicating that Meta's push into AI is resonating well on Wall Street. For those tracking market trends, this momentum could signal growing opportunities in the tech sector as Meta aims to solidify its competitive edge.
Llama 3.2 Quick Review - Meta releases new multimodal and on-device models
Meta just released Llama 3.2, its newest LLM!
We’re going over what’s new with Llama 3.2 vs 3.1 and how you can download Llama 3.2 to your device and test it out.
Check out today's AI in 5.
🦾How You Can Leverage:
Chess Changed Forever after AI beat humans.
Your Industry's Next.
Cuz let’s be honest, shorties.
It doesn’t matter how much domain-specific specialty you have. LLMs are gonna be gobbling that up anyways.
That chess example – y’all remember when an AI beat the world's best chess player 27 years ago?
Instead of sulking, chess champ Garry Kasparov created a new era of chess where humans and AI team up.
Ian Beacraft sees that kind of augmented relationship as the future of work. And even the roles of the players are changing.
Ian is the Founder and CEO of Signal and Cypher, a consultancy helping companies adapt to the AI era.
On today’s show, Ian drew the parallel of how Garry Kasparov pivoted after losing to an AI in IBM’s Deep Blue.
Funny thing?
We can learn a lot from how Kasparov pivoted, and also can apply some of the same concepts as we look at what it means to be a generalist or specialist in an AI-everywhere world.
So how do we adapt?
Are specialists doomed?
Should we all try morphing into do-it-all, AI-enabled generalists?
Let’s move the pieces one at a time and break down what you need to know from today’s eye-opening convo.
Ready to put the future of work in checkmate?
Let’s move. ♟️
1 – Redefine the Specialist-Generalist Dynamic 🤔
The AI revolution ain’t about specialists becoming obsolete or generalists taking over.
But a shift’s definitely gonna happen.
Ian about creating a new symbiosis. He points out that AI is evening the playing field, making previously specialist-only tasks accessible to generalists.
But don't panic, specialists – your deep expertise is still crucial.
The key is learning to amplify your impact through AI, much like how Kasparov's "centaur chess" teams up humans and machines.
Try this:
Conduct an "Expertise Amplification Workshop."
Gather your top specialists and generalists.
Have specialists identify three complex tasks they routinely perform.
Then, challenge mixed teams of specialists and generalists to create AI-assisted workflows that allow generalists to perform these tasks at 80% proficiency.
The goal isn't to replace specialists, but to free them up for higher-level thinking while empowering generalists to take on more. Document the process and use it as a blueprint for future role evolution across your organization.
2 – Embrace the 'Jagged Frontier' of AI Capabilities 💪
Ian introduces us to the concept of AI's "jagged frontier" – the unpredictable landscape of what AI can and can't do well. Understanding this frontier is crucial for effective AI integration.
Some tasks that seem complex to humans might be easy for AI, while seemingly simple tasks could stump even the most advanced models.
This knowledge gap creates opportunities for those who can navigate it skillfully.
Try this:
Take this Jagged Little Pill, biz style.
Launch a "Jagged Frontier Mapping" initiative. Select a diverse set of tasks from across your org – from creative work to data analysis to customer service.
Test these against various AI tools and document the results.
Where does AI excel unexpectedly?
Where does it fall short?
What are those specialist tasks that suddenly don’t feel so…. Specialist-worthy? (Ie... an LLM can beat the grand champ of that task just like in chess.)
Use this map to redesign workflows, combining AI and human strengths. Present findings to leadership, highlighting how understanding the jagged frontier can lead to unique competitive advantages and innovation opportunities.
Also, you gotta be nimble when doing this. This isn’t a 6-month endeavor. Sprint, shorties.
Make mistakes and re-evaluate.
3 – From Knowledge Hoarding to Knowledge Sharing 🧠
That secret specialist sauce that’s propelled your teams?
That’s company IP shorties.
(Sorry employees.)
Companies should be focused on capturing, cleaning and training models on their first party company data.
In other words — that knowledge of your top specialists needs to be turned into model food that your generalists can gobble up.
Nom nom.
In the AI era, your value isn't in what you know – it's in how your company captures and shares that knowledge.
Ian mentioned that specialists typically spend about 70% of their time on lower-level, administrative tasks that aren't the best use of their expertise.
Here’s how you can flip that dang script to better share the 30% of what makes a specialist so…. Special.
Try this:
Initiate an "Open Source Expertise" project.
Identify the top 5 areas where your expertise is most frequently sought after. Work with your tech team to create AI-powered tools (like custom GPTs or decision support systems) that capture this knowledge.
Roll these out to your team, but here's the twist – make the process collaborative.
Encourage others to contribute their insights, creating a living, evolving knowledge base. Track not just usage metrics, but how this shared knowledge sparks new ideas and innovations.
Use this data to propose a new role for yourself as a "Collective Intelligence Strategist," focusing on how to leverage and grow your organization's combined human-AI brainpower.
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