Amazon’s AI Illusion, AI Acolytes, and White House Orders

According to the latest data, 35% of global companies are currently using AI in their business. But finished 50% of companies plan to incorporate AI technologies in 2024. The intention is there, but not always the action. You can see why. When there’s so much of you could do what should you make?

I used to subscribe to every AI newsletter and quickly felt overwhelmed. So much changed, and so quickly, that I constantly felt overwhelmed, disconnected, and unable to keep up. And I write about AI. Imagine how other people feel. Think of these updates as your lint filter. If it doesn’t change your life or impact your business, it won’t make it into my article.

With that in mind, here are five new updates entrepreneurs need to know about.

What’s new in AI today? Key updates that affect your business.

AI officials demanded by the White House

“I would be surprised if we still have AI directors in 5 to 10 years,” said Rachel Woodsformer Facebook data scientist and CEO of The AI ​​Exchange, in response to news that the White House is directing all federal agencies to “appoint chief artificial intelligence officers to oversee the federal government’s various approaches to AI and manage the risks that rapidly evolving technologies could pose.” Woods believes that while it’s an “important enabler role today,” she said, in the future, “the internal operations of AI will belong to the COO.” Work on AI products will belong to the CTO/CPO.

Why is this important to you as a business leader? Because the C-suite is upset. If head of AI This is a standalone role or integrated into the work of Operations or Technology Managers, their responsibilities will be vital to a business looking to move with the times and continue to grow according to customer expectations. What will you require your CTO to know and are they willing to adapt?

Businesses hope for productivity from AI

Once again, economists and businessmen disagree when it comes to data, particularly the productivity benefits of AI. “The craze for large language models and ChatGPT went a little too far” said Robert Gordon, an economist at Northwestern University, unlike Erik Brynjolfsson of Stanford University, who bet Mr. Gordon $400 that “productivity would take off” this decade. Entrepreneurs in response to this LinkedIn message saved hours and tons of money.

If you’re starting a company, does what academics say in interviews matter? Actually, yes. Because while they debate whether or not AI will improve productivity, they are gathering detailed case studies for us to study. For example, Ben & Jerry’s installed AI-powered cameras in its freezers to alert the company when a location was low on food. Or Wendy’s, who could use AI to identify the slowest times of the day and reduce prices of menu items on its digital boards. Find out what leading companies are thinking about how you apply AI in your business.

Business school launches AI degree

The WP Carey School of Business officially launches a new degree program, the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business, Arizona State University recently shared. Now accepting students for enrollment in 2024, the course promises to equip students to: “Analyze various business situations and apply AI to other business goals.” Understand and effectively communicate the impact of AI transformations” and “Practice conscious AI and pay attention to ethics, bias, well-being, privacy and trust,” among others.

But is a college degree required for a career in AI? With free courses and thought leaders sharing information everywhere, learning on the job is all the rage, and things are changing so quickly, will investing money in a certificate really make a difference to long term ? For entrepreneurs, this will be a decision they make when hiring for AI positions. Will you require someone to have a degree or will you hire enthusiastic, self-starters regardless of their degree status? How will you know someone is good without knowing the field yourself?

AI tools are your superhero allies

“Foster a partnership between humans and generative AI, rather than a rivalry,” the CNET author told Lisa Lacyin response to a Gallup Poll 2023 which reveals that nearly a quarter of Americans fear the technology will “make their jobs obsolete as companies begin to integrate generative AI and harness its potential.” Lacy said AI was primarily replacing jobs such as customer service and data entry, “which are generally not the most fulfilling for human workers.” This can be your superhero companion instead of a malicious rival, the article explains. Karin Kimbrough, chief economist at LinkedIn, said they “don’t see a massive loss of jobs.” But that doesn’t tell the whole story. While the roles may not be replaced, they will be. There is no way that machines will replace manual labor in any industry. What does this mean to you ? Don’t waste time searching for insurance online. Start learning before the news catches up with us.

Amazon’s AI is actually real people, Gizmodo reports

“So it turns out that Amazon stores, where you can walk out without paying, ultimately don’t rely on AI,” Ian Harris of Agency Hackers said in this popular article on LinkedIn. “Instead, 1,000 people in India are watching camera footage to determine whether you picked up a KitKat or a Twirl.” Gizmodo Reports than that of Amazon Just Get Out Initiativeoffered in Amazon’s Fresh stores, is powered by remote workers, a move the Hindustan Times called an “illusion.”

Not everything in AI is what it seems and even tech giant Amazon isn’t immune to faking it until it makes it. It is very likely that a feature that calls itself AI is just automation and human processes. In Amazon’s case, they may have been testing the concept while developing the technology in the background. Regardless, the field of AI is wide open for newcomers. Even the big guns aren’t that far away.

Don’t get left behind: stay ahead of AI news to continue growing

All is not what it seems, roles are changing and people are under illusions about the effect of AI on business and life. But the message is clear. Don’t focus on fancy titles or expensive certificates. Instead, get back to basics with AI. Start with the foundations and build.

Think about the purpose of your work and your business and find ways to do it faster, better and cheaper. Figure out how to have more impact with whatever is out there, rather than speculating about what may or may not be relevant at all. Less talk, more action. Less theory, more practice.