Note #6 to Sookie: An AI Reality Check
Dear Sookie,
Big Tech broke three unwritten rules for AI and now you need to keep pushing for the sake of yourself, your family, and those in your community.
Last week I spoke to you about some amazing upgrades to AI in Microsoft Excel. This week, I want to briefly give you another reality check. I was recently reading this blog post from Mo Gawdat (it’s a paid blog):
Three unwritten rules about AI that Mo suggests that were broken by big tech are as follows:
Never release AI systems onto the open internet.
Never teach AI how to write code.
Never let AI agents prompt and control other AIs.
I think it’s pretty intuitive as to why these were unwritten rules. I actually worked with these AI technologies during my graduate school days in the mid-2010s. None of us thought that these technologies would be deployed like this because all of us were smart enough and filled with enough conscience to understand that these unwritten rules were incredibly important.
These unwritten rules have been broken.
I think it’s pretty self-evident then that there is only acceleration of AI from this point on; see Eric Schmidt’s testimony as additional commentary:
I don’t think anyone is swooping in to help you deal with this. So this is the current iteration of my plan (every week it evolves slightly as AI advancements accelerate):
I was brought up by my parents to believe that there is a higher order and greater calling in this world. Even though we have all had our experiences with regards to being hurt by people, I am learning what it means to still try to “honor people”.
I’ve been given a gift and an opportunity to understand AI and accelerate faster than most people in this world. By the sheer fact that you are reading this letter, you have also been given an opportunity to accelerate your growth in AI. Don’t waste this time.
Don’t listen to extreme voices that are trying to slow down your progress. I’ve experienced people viewing me negatively because I’m working on AI. It’s sad because I was one of the people that was 100% in line with those that were trying to prevent additional public releases of AI until we had time to nationally and globally create a better plan. We are past that moment now. There is only acceleration now. People need to wake up and realize that there’s no putting this genie back into the lamp.
As I continue to grow my superpowers in AI, I am trying to honor and help people in concentric circles around me. It starts with my family (especially my kids), then goes to my local community, the University of Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and so forth.
I am laser focused on helping businesses transform, especially because I legitimately think businesses will die if they do not take on this technology ASAP. My business, bluefoxlabs.ai, is not succeeding because we are stellar at marketing and sales (we are not); it is succeeding because we are AI-first and AI-powered.
I will always be powerfully optimistic because of my faith, my group of family, friends, and colleagues that are trying to do the right things, the fact that AI hallucinations will always exist, and the fact that no one truly has a crystal ball. The future doesn’t happen to us; we make the future.
Don’t stop growing your AI skills. Don’t let people negatively pressure you. Keep going!
Sincerely,
Dr. Joe, Your AI Doctor
These notes are for 'Ken' and 'Sookie,' the American names my young Korean immigrant parents adopted while navigating profound change as they moved to the US in the 1970’s. In the notes within this blog, I imagine them as young adults again, but now encountering change and uncertainty from today's AI shifts – Sookie with potential job uncertainty, Ken with business disruption.
Drawing inspiration from their historical resilience as young immigrants facing the unknown, I'm compelled to write with empathy and offer truly helpful thoughts for anyone navigating AI's rapid evolution. Remember, this isn't financial or direct strategic advice, but a perspective to encourage your own thoughtful consideration. I do not identify myself as their son in these notes, but in reality, I write with a son’s heart.
My notes to Sookie will always be free, as I understand employees often navigate workplace changes with fewer resources and support systems. My notes to Ken will be offered at an accessible price point designed to be a worthwhile investment for businesses of any size looking to adapt to AI changes.
The degree to which Sookie guides this guidance is an extraordinary gift. Thank you.