How about an AI CEO?

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

This month: Here’s an idea: let’s build an A.I. replacement for CEOs!!

You’ve heard it, I’ve heard, we’ve all heard it recently. “Artificial intelligence is going to replace me, and no one is going to be able to do anything about it!” Whether it’s Hollywood writers & actors, as well as other creators of duplicative content or services, it seems everyone is at risk of being replaced (substituted?) by AI.

WHY THIS MAKES SENSE

Call it alarmist, paranoid, or anything else you wish. The fact is that it’s coming – and FAST! I recall when I was very young going to the movies and seeing Westworld with Richard Benjamin and a very intimidating Yul Brenner. I might be too proud to say I was shaking in my boots, but let’s just settle on the fact that I NEVER forgot that movie. If only I’d known that it was simply a precursor …

Fast forward to today. It seems the only working people who are the most frightened by this concept are those whose decisions are being made on their behalf. Combine that with a general lack of trust for those in charge and BOOM – we are left with the anger, disbelief, and anxiety that is here.

CONTENT CREATOR P.O.V. VS. CEO P.O.V.

I think about things like this all the time. As a content creator, I understand fully the importance of “having a say over my creation(s).” Conversely, as a CEO, I understand the need to stay ahead of the business/technology curve and to keep costs in check, etc. However, in this situation, I’m going to side with the creators. I’m going to do this for the purposes of this blog entry simply BECAUSE-I-CAN!

THE WRAP UP

Finally, I’m going to propose that we embark on inventing a brand-new CEO in A.I. It won’t be overpaid, it won’t chastise and intimidate its workforce, and it won’t force others to (Return to Office or “RTO”) drive to the office every day should they prefer to work from home (WFH).

Pretty cool, huh? You’re welcome.

What do YOU think?

Hope your very hot summer is not so horrible.

Stay hydrated.

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances via our CONTACT PAGE.

Rise of the Robots – by Martin Ford

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Rise of the Robots

by – Martin Ford, 286 pgs.

What I found most amazing about this book

The most amazing thing about this book is the stark realization that many forms of human labor as we know it is on the tail end of its very existence. It’s no accident that corporations have seized on both the efficiency and profitability that robots – when built and operated properly – can offer them. Unlike humans, there are no sick days, vacations, health insurance, etc. that otherwise “inconvenience” the 24/7/365 profit machine mindset.

That may seem fine in a money-making sense, but it far from solves every potential problem. In fact, it may prove to create some brand new ones. Unless new methods are derived to figure out how all of the millions (up to even tens of millions) of displaced workers are going to miraculously afford to buy those state-of –the-art, robotically-built products and services, then we may come to regret outsmarting ourselves in our technological prowess.

It is something to keep in mind in our quest for perfection. In fact, the author proposes a few interesting options with respect to how we could compensate those of us who may pay the ultimate price in this process – that of losing our careers to robots. As one pretty insightful scientist (Isaac Newton) once put it, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Let’s hope that we’re mindful of our actions as we move to the next generation.

What I DIDN’T like about this book

I thought this book was the most eye-opening I’ve read in several years. As advanced as the concepts are, the author did a fantastic job in wording it in a way that even a very young person could relate to. It is a game changer, a disrupter, and it will most certainly be cited often in the coming years.

Whom would I recommend to read this book

This book is (like it or not) a “must-read” for all working adults who may not even realize how close they are to being replaced in their occupation. Yes, yours! I would also strongly recommend it to all college students who are at the point of declaring majors and career-planning for the next stage of their lives.

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

The Third Wave – by Steve Case

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What I liked most about this book

The most interesting thing about this book is how the author tied together our most significant technological advances since the 1980s with the political, economic and social issues these advances most affected. Because he has had influence on the highest levels in both the private (business) and public (government) sectors, he was able to explain all of the nuances that only an insider could.

What challenges (or dislikes) about this book

I suppose the only challenge was trying to understand how someone could build a company (AOL) into a monster valuation and then be “unhappy” with how the circumstances turned out during and after the merger with Time/Warner.

For a reader (like me) who is also an entrepreneur, it’s strange to think that anyone could be unhappy with the results he achieved. Entrepreneurs traditionally work so hard and diligently for such a long time – and often with less than satisfactory results – that one never envisions the potential for any unhappiness in this process. It was certainly both an eye-opener and a reminder of the cold realities of our complex business world. That said, all entrepreneurs (satisfied or unsatisfied) should thank Steve Case for being so honest with his feelings in “letting us in” to experience a moment with him that most successful businesspeople are too proud to ever let us see.
Why and to whom would I recommend this book

This book is an outstanding read for anyone and everyone who is alive and well today. Whether we realize it or not, we are all living in the Third Wave that is described in this book.

In the beginning of the book, I was very enthusiastic about sharing this information with my pre-teen children. They are now in what I coined their iPod stage (in obvious hopes to rapidly accelerate into their iPhone stage). But I often wonder how unaware they are of what we had to endure in the “old tech days” (i.e. the 90s and before).

I recall (as late as 2001) making daily references to the old AOL online process: which included modem screeches, awful delays and call drops. However, as Steve Case properly explains, it was not only all we had, but just the starting point of so many monumental gains to come. All of our children would feel cheated if they had to climb into a time machine for a day and revert to those days, but then again, what did we say to our parents with all of their “tech troubles?” We should be very proud of our tech advancements and in introducing it all to the next generation.

Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War – by Fred Kaplan

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What I liked about this book

I thought the book did an incredible job enlightening us about how easily our “inter-connected cyber world” can turn from convenience and ease to inconvenience and horror. One of the prominent themes was “anything we can do, they can do back to us.” It’s a defining indication of how far we’ve come in technology – but also, the price we should expect to pay for our gains.

What was most challenging about this book
The most challenging issue is understanding that many of our “complaints” about international spying, hacking, etc. online is often a practice that originated domestically. It will be more difficult, after digesting the contents of this book, to simply point the finger at the rest of the cyber world for some of the ideas we may have started right here at home. Whether this is good or bad is to be determined, but the facts are laid out in this book and are arguable.

Why and to whom would I recommend this book

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an online business (or plans to create one), or simply has a genuine interest in cyber security as either a hobby or potential profession. I also think it is a great read for anyone who is interested in learning HOW we have gotten to the “point of no return” in our knowledge of the cyber world and all of the amazing details involved.