The Context

The Context is an ongoing weekly Patreon series that gives a deeper understanding of the implications of current events, and technologies shaping the world.

Don’t be a Zombie, be a Luminary

The sudden availability of advanced Artificial Intelligence platforms forces us to confront not only the evaluation of our own abilities but, even deeper, what it means to be a conscious, self-aware human being. We can explore this from both scientific and philosophical points of view, ultimately drawing practical conclusions. My conclusion and exhortation is simple:

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AI Progress Can’t be Stopped but Must be Managed

AI is experiencing jolting change, with advancements such as ChatGPT and GPT4, but there are limits to individual and organizational adaptability. I was invited to sign an open letter that asks to allow for deeper consideration of AI design, implementation, and regulation. Concerns include inherent bias, job displacement, pollution of the info-sphere, loss of trust

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Quieting the Busy Mind

I lived alone for three months while my wife was in Seoul, for the first time in 40 years.  In today’s world we receive a constant stimulation of inputs, and requests for outputs, in the search for efficiency, and the effort of reaching our goals. Without trying, I unexpectedly discovered how much I enjoy solitude, and

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Half Life of Skills

When deciding what is worth developing in terms of professional skills, there is an important concept to consider, and I would like to talk about it: the Half Life of Skills. I’m often asked for advice about skills that are worth developing or learning, and I am always very happy to provide my feedback. These

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Talking to AIs

We often imagine technology in our science fiction scenarios that is very different from what happens when it becomes available. Today, we are starting to talk about Artificial Intelligence that is not exactly like what was depicted in the Sci-Fi books we were reading decades ago. There has been an explosion of experimentation in the

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Living with Bots

Are you worried about bots, and spam accounts and fake accounts on the various social media platforms? You could decide that this worry should be translated into some kind of eradication of the bots problem, but I want to argue that the opposite is true. We must welcome bots, and learn to live together with

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Bear Market

We are in a bear market and more and more countries in the world will very likely declare over the course of the next few weeks or months to be in an economic recession. What are the implications for investors and founders of startup projects? When we think about investors, we think about them as

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