Category: Culture
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Does social media need more than attention?
For transformers and recommendation algorithms, it is all about attention. Social media platforms want to capture as much of your attention as possible in order to show you ads and collect metadata about you. LinkedIn recently notified users that it would utilize their content to train AI models unless they opt out. I’m curious if…
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A Wakeup Call for Tech Workers
Tech companies, and frankly, most of the knowledge work industry, have jumped at the opportunity to replace human workers with AI. This possibility was so enticing that they didn’t bother to wait to see if the technology’s promises were real. They may have shown their hand too soon. I believe that we are fortunate that…
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Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day
I grew up knowing today’s holiday as Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus received a pretty positive review throughout most of my early education. I am grateful that my kids are now learning the reality of his impact. Change is hard, and we are right to protect our traditions and values. When I first heard today’s holiday…
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In Defense of the Office
My first professional office had a door, two desks, a computer at each desk, and atop each desk sat two monitors. There was a large window out of which I could watch the squirrels play. They were merry, and so was I. Even though I was a junior intern, there was a sense of permanence…
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The Psychological Impact of AI Notetakers
AI notetaking bots weird me out. Not logically, but emotionally. I appreciate their value and I don’t really worry about them doing anything harmful. Something about the current UI experience where bots join as equivalent to human users causes me to anthropomorphize them more than I would like. What’s this creeper doing sitting silently in…
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Feel the Flow with Feelings
Most people will tell you that one-on-ones are important. Few will tell you how to run them. Each meeting is as unique as the two people involved. And those same two people may be different from day to day depending on what’s happening in their worlds. If you can attune yourself to that unique environment,…
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It Rained In Ohio On The Night Allen Iverson Hit Michael Jordan With A Crossover
I grew up a Philadelphia sports fan. While I wasn’t a huge basketball fan, I remember Allen Iversen (the original AI) as a dynamic and exciting player to watch. I was naive back then. I took the media report of Iversons infamous “Practice?!!” press conference at face value. There really was only one version of…
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What do AI headshots tell us about our values?
Observing the recent influx of headshots built by AI tools, I have noticed a preference toward certain physical attributes and styles. We may not be comfortable saying what we think a “professional” looks like, but our AI models are now speaking for us. One of the existential challenges of AI is that it forces us…
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Three things Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can teach Business Leaders
You have probably seen that prominent tech leaders such as Mark Zuckerburg and Elon Musk are training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Maybe you wonder how fighting appeals to these titans of the tech industry. I won’t argue the efficacy of one martial art over another, but one thing that stands out for Jiu-Jitsu is that you…
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It’s ok to be the smartest person in the room.
The slogans we tell ourselves shape our actions and mindset. The common adage to surround yourself with smart people, aka “be the dumbest person in the room”, has some merit. You are prompting yourself to listen, to learn, to ask clarifying questions. These are all valuable actions. But this mindset can also hold you back…