AI a year later

November 29, 2023 @ 11:30 am - 12:45 pm EST

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There are a plethora of opinions and discussions about the impact of AI on humankind and various work industries. Is the impact positive, destructive, negative, helpful, beneficial? Tech guru Jeff Gamet gives positive and negative examples and discusses the impacts AI has had a year after the floodgates opened.

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Summary:

Summary was created by AI and may contain inaccuracies.

Zoom, AI, and Membership Renewal Concerns

Eckart, Chita, and other participants discussed their experiences and concerns with using Zoom for meetings. Eckart shared his past experience of an unexpected internet disruption that led to an automatic transfer of the host function to a co-host, raising questions about the system’s continuity. The group also discussed the potential need for a different plan, such as the business plan, and the possibility of using a webinar program. Eckart decided to further investigate what happens if a host loses internet connection. The discussion also touched on the use of artificial intelligence for legal inquiries, with Eckart sharing his experience of receiving an incorrect answer from an AI. Furthermore, Melissa raised concerns about the confusion regarding her membership’s renewal status. Eckart clarified that there were some inconsistencies with the renewal system, but assured that Dan, who was yet to join the meeting, would provide the best explanation. Dan later explained that the system prorates the membership based on the actual expiration date, ensuring members don’t lose any benefits.

Apple Fighters User Group Meeting

The team acknowledged the passing of a founding member of the Albany New York Apple Fighters User Group, John Buckley. The group also discussed the status of their weekly meetings, noting that they are recorded in the Zoom cloud and made available after the meeting. There was also a discussion about pacing oneself, with Chita sharing her personal approach to tennis and self-care. The team also noted that they need to be mindful of their microphones being on during the meeting.

AI Progress and Podcast Updates

Jeff and Chita discussed their podcast and recent developments in the AI world. Chita announced that Jeff would have an hour to present these topics. Mike Kwasiak, a member of the Naples Board and a UK-based theater photographer, hosted the session with Chita as the moderator. Eckart, the president, emphasized the significance of AI in their model. Mike reminded attendees about the new website and encouraged class bookings for the upcoming session. Jeff Gamet, a long-time tech journalist and podcaster, was introduced as an interim host for the British Tech Network. The main topic of the meeting was the state of AI, with a focus on its progress over the past year.

AI: Current State and Future Potential

Jeff Gamet discussed the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and its various applications. He explained that AI is a broad term encompassing technologies such as machine learning, where computers learn and adapt based on new information. Jeff highlighted the popularity of large language models like Chat GPT, which use statistical probability and math to generate responses based on prompts. However, he cautioned that these models should not be blindly trusted and their outputs should always be verified. Jeff also touched on the concept of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a system that can learn and respond outside of its core programming. He clarified that achieving AGI does not necessarily mean creating sentient or self-aware computers. Jeff concluded by noting that while AI is widely used and appreciated in certain sectors, it is not yet at the AGI level.

AI’s Growing Role in Cybersecurity

Jeff Gamet emphasized the increasing significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity. He explained that AI systems can serve as sentries, monitoring data access and detecting suspicious activity, thereby preventing security breaches. Jeff highlighted the ongoing AI security war, where bad actors use AI to attack company networks and the good guys use AI to repel these attacks and learn from them. He stressed that the protection task has exceeded human capabilities due to the speed of computer operations and reassured the audience that it’s okay to be concerned about this, as it’s a sign of companies’ commitment to protecting information.

AI in Biopharma and OpenAI’s CEO Change

Jeff Gamet discussed the application of AI in the Biopharma industry, emphasizing its ability to streamline the drug development process. He explained that the traditional process is lengthy and prone to redundancy, but AI can monitor tests continuously, cross-reference previous research, and potentially reduce the process from months or years to a few weeks. Jeff also mentioned the use of AI in astronomy, weather forecasting, and earthquake tracking. He then shifted the discussion to OpenAI, revealing that the company’s founder and CEO, Sam Altman, was fired by the board due to a lack of trust in his truthfulness. However, following employee backlash, Sam was reinstated as CEO. The board was also replaced, which led to concerns about a lack of diversity in perspectives.

OpenAI’s Internal Changes and Microsoft’s AI Ambitions

Jeff Gamet discussed the recent developments at OpenAI, including the firing of Sam and the hiring of Microsoft employees, and speculated that these changes might be linked to an internal project called Q and concerns about artificial intelligence. Jeff suggested that Sam’s dismissal was due to poor management and dishonesty with the board, but noted that Sam has since returned and the board is now dominated by his supporters. Jeff also discussed Microsoft’s heavy reliance on OpenAI’s technology and the potential for Microsoft to gain control of the for-profit company handling AI tools, which he believes is the ultimate aim of the situation.

AI Content Ethics and Regulation Discussion

Jeff and Chita discussed the progress of Chat Gpt models, with Jeff explaining the transition from Gpt 3 to Gpt 4. They also touched on the issue of data theft and plagiarism by Chat Gpt. Jeff shared his concern about the ethics of using AI to create content and suggested joining a class action lawsuit against Chat Gpt and Openai. Jeff also highlighted the need for legislation to regulate how information is collected and used in large language models. Finally, Jeff discussed President Biden’s executive order regarding AI, emphasizing the need for government oversight of large language model initiatives to ensure safety.

Ethics, AI, and Mac Safety Discussion

Chita and Jeff discussed the ethical issues surrounding a company, with a particular focus on the role of Sam Altman. Jeff expressed concern over the company’s trajectory and potential negative outcomes. The conversation then shifted to the use of AI tools on the Mac, with Jeff explaining the need for a high-end machine and the usefulness of a tool called Mac Whisper. Jeff also discussed other AI tools available through a monthly subscription service and addressed concerns about ethical sourcing of data. Melissa raised a question about the safety of using AI tools on her Mac, to which Jeff reassured her and recommended creating a separate user account.

AI Image Creation and Ethics Discussed

Jeff Gamet discussed the use of generative AI models for creating images and the importance of ethical sourcing. He highlighted Adobe’s work in this field and suggested that Mid Journey provides better results than Stable Diffusion. Jeff also mentioned the potential for users to craft their own AI prompts using platforms like Zapier. Chita added that Adobe’s images are ethically sourced. Jeff then discussed the challenges of validating the accuracy of data used in AI models and the importance of experimenting with different models to find the best one. A question about Claude AI was raised, to which Jeff responded that it’s a viable option but recommended experimenting with different models to find the best fit.

Data Accuracy and Search Engine Reliability Discussed

Jeff and Chita discussed the issue of data accuracy from internet scraping, highlighting the problem of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ and the potential for misleading information due to the use of AI. Jeff shared his experience with misleading Google search results and introduced Kaggi, a search engine that provides more accurate and relevant results based on content ranking, as an alternative. He also noted the influence of paid results and generative AI on Google’s search results. Chita expressed concern about the trustworthiness of these data pulls. Jeff also mentioned that he still uses Google for some searches due to its extensive database of crawled content. The discussion sparked a conversation about the use of different search engines and their respective advantages and drawbacks. Lastly, it was announced that Mike Matthews would be back next week for a deep dive on an essential app and that class bookings are open on their website.