Since my last name is Getson, I often get "Jetson" at restaurants. As the CEO of a tech company focused on innovative technologies, it somehow feels fitting.
Despite only airing for one season (from 1962-1963), The Jetsons remains a cultural phenomenon. It supposedly takes place in 2062, but in the story, the family's patriarch (George Jetson) was born on July 31, 2022. Not too long ago.
Obviously, this is a whimsical representation of the future - spurred on by fears of the Soviet Union and the space race. But it captured the imagination of multiple generations of kids. Flying cars, talking dogs, robot maids, and food printing ... what's not to love?
I don't intend to dissect the show about what they got right or wrong, but I do want to briefly examine what they imagined based on where we are today.
For example, while flying cars aren't ubiquitous yet (like in the Jetsons), we already have driverless cars. It's likely that by 2062, driverless cars will be pervasive, even if flying cars aren't. But, frankly, who knows? That is still possible.
Meanwhile, both George and Jane work very few hours a week due to the increase in technology. While that's a future we can still envision, despite massive technological improvements, we've chosen to increase productivity (instead of working less and keeping output at 1960 levels). Even with the expected growth of AI, I still believe that humans will choose to pursue purposeful work.
The Jetsons also underemphasize the wireless nature of today's world. George still has to go into the office, and while they have video phones, it's still a piece of hardware connected to a wall, instead of mobile and wireless. 2062 is far enough away that holographic displays are still a very real possibility.
Likewise, while we don't yet have complex robot maids (like Rosie), we already have Roombas... and both AI and Robotics are improving exponentially.
Meanwhile, we are in the process of creating cheap and sustainable food printing and drone delivery services ... which makes the Jetsons look oddly prescient.
And, remember, there are still 40 years for us to continue to make progress. So, while I think it's doubtful cities will look like the spaceports portrayed in the cartoon ... I suspect that you'll be impressed by how much further we are along than even the Jetsons imagined.
Not only is the rate of innovation increasing, but so is the rate at which that rate increases. It's exponential.
We live in exciting times!
Let's Talk AI Ethics
It's no secret that I've been a proponent of the proliferation and adoption of AI. I've been the CEO of AI companies since the early 90s, but it was the early 2000s when I realized what the future had in store.
A few years ago, in anticipation of where we are today, I started participating in discussions about the need for governance, ethical guidelines, and response frameworks for AI (and other exponential technologies).
Last week, I said that we shouldn't slow down the progress of generative AI ... and I stand by that, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working hastily to provide bumper rails to keep AI in check.
There are countless ethical concerns we should be talking about:
These are all real and present concerns that we should be aware of. However, it's not as simple as creating increasingly tight chains to limit AI. We have to be judicious in our applications of regulation and oversight. We intrinsically know the dangers of overregulation - of limiting freedoms. Not only will it stifle creativity and output, but it will only encourage bad actors to go further beyond what the law-abiding creators can do.
If you want to see one potential AI risk management framework, here's a proposition by the National Institute of Standards and Technology - it's called AI RMF 1.0. It's a nice jump-off point for you to think about internal controls and preparation for impending regulation. To be one step more explicit ... if you are a business owner or a tech creator, you should be getting a better handle on your own internal controls, as well as anticipating external influence.
In conclusion, there is a clear need for AI ethics to ensure that this transformative technology is used in a responsible and ethical manner. There are many issues we need to address as AI becomes more ubiquitous and powerful. That's not an excuse to slow down, because slowing down only lets others get ahead. If you're only scared of AI, you're not paying enough attention. You should be excited.
Hope that helps.
Posted at 08:32 PM in Business, Current Affairs, Gadgets, Healthy Lifestyle, Ideas, Market Commentary, Science, Trading, Trading Tools, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Reblog (0)