Ruminations on our relationship with technology
Why AI may increase economic inequality over the years Anyone keeping up with economic news may sometimes find it difficult to be an optimist about artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that AI may increase economic inequality over the years. In fact, AI will likely affect nearly 40% of … Read more
AI and the problem of induction: insight from David Hume I recently traveled through Scotland, home to one of my favorite Enlightenment philosophers, David Hume. In fact, right in the capital city of Edinburgh, where Hume once lived, there’s a statue of him. Hume wrote back in the 18th century, but his philosophical thought remains … Read more
What does it mean to say blockchains are trustless? The recent rise of cryptocurrency funds just might add to the fantasy of creating a new financial system based entirely on cryptocurrency. So, I thought it would be a good time to revisit some questions about the underlying technology that makes these so-called financial products possible: … Read more
Is generative AI going through a hype cycle? Technological innovation often goes through what’s called a hype cycle. Represented graphically, there’s a peak of inflated expectations about some supposedly revolutionary technology, followed by a trough of disillusionment. Then, there’s a gradual slope of enlightenment, or understanding what the technology realistically can and can’t do. Finally, … Read more
Are AI chatbots examples of general intelligence or cognitive automation? As artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT become famous, I can’t help but notice how a perpetual topic of debate about AI continues to reemerge. Are these chatbots examples of general intelligence or cognitive automation? To understand this debate, let’s briefly define what we mean … Read more
Synopsis of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less From Each Other Self-ordering kiosks in restaurants. Self-checkout machines at stores. Self-driving vehicles on the road. Year by year, an unstoppable trend appears to be gaining traction across multiple industries: automation. It’s clear what the economic consequences of automation will be: robots will … Read more
Rise of the second machine age Whether or not technological innovation is good for our working lives has been debated since Plato condemned the invention of writing for ruining human memory. Unlike Plato, however, we’re not dealing with tools like pen and paper. Now we’re dealing with machines. In the past, our ancestors lived through … Read more