☕️ Greetings, and welcome to The Tech Issue with a coverage of the Generative AI landscape.

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In today’s issue:

• 4 Steps to Become a Generative AI Developer

• Generative AI dominates Davos discussions as companies focus on accuracy

• How OpenAI plans to handle GenAI election fears

• A new vulnerability affecting Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm GPUs could expose AI data

• Is GenAI the steam engine of Industry 4.0?—the view from Davos

• And more

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🗞️ Employers - Employees Disconnect

A new Accenture report, based on data from over 12,000 professionals in 19 countries, reveals a significant disconnect between employers and employees regarding generative AI's impact in the workplace. While 58% of employees express concerns about job security due to AI, less than one-third of C-suite leaders share this apprehension. This disparity extends to perceptions of AI's effect on well-being, with 60% of employees fearing increased stress, versus only 37% of leaders. This misalignment is obstructing trust and hindering organizations from harnessing generative AI's potential for enhancing economic value, productivity, and creative work.

Key Points:

• Accenture's report highlights a divide between C-suite leaders and employees on generative AI's impact on job security and well-being.

• 58% of employees worry about AI affecting job stability; C-suite executives less concerned.

• Employees foresee increased stress and burnout due to AI, a concern shared by a smaller proportion of leaders.

• This trust gap prevents organizations from leveraging generative AI's benefits, despite widespread recognition of its value.

• Only 9% of surveyed organizations, termed "reinventors," effectively integrate AI to reshape workforce roles and involve employees in the change process.

• Accenture's Ellyn Shook emphasizes the need for leaders to adopt new learning and leadership styles for responsible AI integration, aiming to make employees 'net better off'.

Reference: Employers, employees disconnected over AI-related job displacements

🗞️ TRENDS

In 2024, the transformative influence of artificial intelligence is redefining a broad spectrum of fields, including healthcare and finance. Eleven critical AI trends stand at the core of this evolution, transcending mere trendy terminology to signify major shifts in the integration of technology into daily life and various industries. A thorough comprehension of these trends is crucial for navigating the ongoing transformations impacting our professional and personal lives.

Key Insights:

1. Robust Growth in the AI Sector: The AI market achieved a valuation of USD 136.55 billion in 2022, with expectations of a vigorous growth trajectory at a 37.3% CAGR until 2030, heralding an era brimming with opportunities and innovation.

2. Impact on the Global Economy: By 2030, AI's contribution of an estimated $15.7 trillion to the world economy will surpass the current outputs of economic powerhouses like China and India, although growth will vary across different regions.

3. AI's Transformation of Healthcare: AI is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by introducing personalized and precise diagnostics and treatments, thereby significantly enhancing patient care through customized health solutions and advanced data analysis.

4. Accessibility of AI Technologies: The emergence of low-code and no-code platforms is democratizing the field of AI, simplifying the creation and implementation of intelligent systems, leading to significant cost efficiencies and operational improvements.

5. Evolution of Conversational AI: Projected to reach a market size of $1.25 billion by 2025, conversational AI is reshaping customer interactions and business operations, marking a significant shift in communication technologies.

6. Advancements in Ethical and Transparent AI: The increasing focus on making AI systems more transparent and ethical highlights the need to eliminate biases and enhance trust in AI technology.

7. Development of Multi-Modal AI: This trend involves integrating diverse data types, propelling AI towards more comprehensive cognitive processes and applications.

8. Growth of Digital Twin Technology: Digital twins are gaining prominence in replicating physical entities in the digital realm, offering innovative approaches to data utilization and predictive modeling in various sectors.

9. Strategic Use of Predictive Analytics: This trend is essential in providing foresight for businesses, optimizing processes, and reducing operational costs across different industries.

10. Strengthening Cybersecurity with AI: Incorporating AI into cybersecurity strategies is becoming essential in defending against complex and evolving digital threats and protecting essential data and infrastructure.

11. Creative Leap with Generative AI: Employing deep learning to generate new data and content, generative AI is expanding its applications in fields like healthcare and digital content creation.

12. Collaborative Robots in the Workplace: Cobots are enhancing workplace efficiency by automating routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on more creative and complex activities.

13. Dominance of AI Applications: AI-powered applications are changing the way users interact with technology, offering smarter, more adaptive experiences.

14. Integration with Emerging Technologies: Combining AI with technologies such as IoT, blockchain, and AR is opening up new avenues for innovative business solutions and strategies.

15. AI as a Catalyst for Economic and Industrial Change: AI is a key driver in economic growth and industrial transformation, introducing new efficiencies and business models across various sectors.

🗞️ IMPACT (Economy, Workforce, Culture, Life)

Is GenAI the steam engine of Industry 4.0?—the view from Davos: At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, CEOs of Accenture, IBM, and Qualcomm discussed gen AI's role in future growth. They agreed on AI's potential to outpace regulation and enhance human capabilities, emphasizing strategic consideration and urgency. Accenture's CEO highlighted AI's significant business impact, stressing the need for adaptability across industries. IBM's CEO focused on AI's role in transforming digital labor, advocating for embracing AI for sustained advantage. Qualcomm's CEO discussed AI's democratization through on-device processing, expanding AI's reach. The panel underscored the need for employee re-skilling and thoughtful AI regulation to harness its full potential. Read more at rcrwireless.com.

🗞️ OPINION (Opinion, Analysis, Reviews, Ideas)

OpenAI, anticipating its technology's potential impact on global elections, emphasizes safe AI deployment. With elections in the U.S., Pakistan, India, South Africa, and the European Parliament, the focus is on preventing GenAI misuse in democratic processes. ChatGPT will direct election-related queries to CanIVote.org and mark AI-generated images with a "cr" icon for transparency. Further, ChatGPT will incorporate real-time news, extending its Axel Springer partnership. Meanwhile, platforms like Meta and YouTube set policies for AI content in politics, as the U.S. FCC considers applying fraud laws to AI-generated material. Concerns rise over genAI’s role in spreading misinformation and intensifying political polarization, necessitating stronger safeguards and responsible use in social media and political communication.

Reference: How OpenAI plans to handle GenAI election fears

🗞️ LEARNING (Tools, Frameworks, Skills, Guides, Research)

4 Steps to Become a Generative AI Developer: In the OpenAI Developer Day event, Sam Altman highlighted product usage by developers, businesses, and general users, focusing on the developer segment. This article explores the role of generative AI developers, the necessary tools, and the steps to start in this field. It discusses common applications like chatbots, semantic search, personalized content, and natural language interfaces to software. Tools include generative AI models (like GPT 4.0), vector databases, and programming languages like Python and JavaScript. Frameworks like LangChain and LlamaIndex are also crucial. The article guides on learning skills, combining LLMs with vector databases, and suggests resources for continuous learning in generative AI development. Read more kdnuggets.com.

🗞️ BUSINESS (Use Cases, Industry spotlight)

2023 saw Generative AI (GenAI) grab headlines, evolving beyond educational assistance into customer experience enhancement. Brands are leveraging GenAI for better virtual agent interactions, automating responses, and understanding customer intents. Google's Dialogflow exemplifies this with bots built from natural language. Google Cloud's Shantanu Misra highlighted three GenAI advances in their Contact Center AI (CCAI) Platform: Knowledge Assist with LLMs for real-time agent support, LLM Summarizations reducing interaction summary time, and Generative FAQ for dynamic, up-to-date customer queries. These innovations, part of Google's AI-first approach in CCaaS, are readily available and easily integrated.

Reference: Generative AI Beyond Self-Service: 3 Eye-Catching Contact Center Use Cases

🗞️ IN THE NEWS

Generative AI dominates Davos discussions as companies focus on accuracy: At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the focus was on the rise of generative AI, with leaders emphasizing the need for enhanced accuracy for broader applications. Intel's CEO highlighted AI's potential in critical sectors, requiring improved reliability. Salesforce's CEO discussed a phased approach involving human co-pilots to build trust in AI. OpenAI's CEO saw AI as a productivity tool rather than a job replacement. Nasdaq's CEO noted AI's role in modernizing financial systems, marking a shift towards practical implementations. Read more at: cnbc.com.

Accenture Report Finds Perception Gap Between Workers and C-suite Around Work and Generative AI: Accenture's report emphasizes the urgent need for business leaders to scale generative AI by redesigning organizational processes and enhancing work experiences. Despite recognizing gen AI's potential for economic growth, two-thirds of executives lack the requisite technology and leadership skills for such reinvention. While 95% of workers see gen AI's benefits, about 60% fear job loss and stress. The report highlights a perception gap between workers and leaders on AI's workplace impact and the lack of comprehensive strategies for positive worker outcomes. Successful integration of gen AI requires leaders to focus on improving workers' overall well-being and comfort with the technology. Read more at vmblog.com.

Sam Altman Says AI Using Too Much Energy, Will Require Breakthrough Energy Source: AI models like OpenAI's ChatGPT consume vast amounts of electricity, potentially matching a country's usage. Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, at Davos, highlighted the need for new energy sources, particularly fusion, to meet AI's growing power demands. Despite significant investment and interest in fusion, practical application remains elusive. Meanwhile, the AI industry's carbon footprint is expanding rapidly, necessitating immediate action towards sustainable energy sources and environmental considerations in AI development. Read more at futurism.com.

A new vulnerability affecting Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm GPUs could expose AI data: The LeftoverLocals bug, discovered by Tyler Sorensen, is a GPU vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-4969, impacting major vendors like Apple, AMD, Qualcomm, and Imagination Technologies. It enables attackers to steal sensitive data from GPU local memory, particularly threatening to large language models and machine learning applications. The flaw can leak up to 180 MB per instance, posing significant security concerns. Vendors have responded variably, with some issuing patches. This vulnerability underscores overlooked security risks in the ML development stack. Read more at techspot.com.

Microsoft Adds Copilot Pro for Individuals to Generative AI Offerings: Microsoft's Copilot Pro, a generative AI plan for individual power users, integrates with Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote on PC, Mac, and iPad. It's part of Microsoft 365, offering enhanced AI services for businesses. The plan, priced at $20 per month, features advanced AI models like GPT-4 Turbo and syncs across Microsoft applications. Copilot Pro targets AI image creators with high-quality image tools and the soon-to-release Copilot GPT Builder for custom chatbots. Additionally, Copilot for Microsoft 365, aimed at SMBs, offers subscriptions for 1-299 seats and integrates with Microsoft Teams, emphasizing efficiency in business operations. Copilot is accessible via a mobile app and the Microsoft 365 app, leveraging GPT-4 and Dall-E 3 technologies. Read more at techrepublic.com.

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