Philosophy, technology, and the future of work

A new survey from the Conference Board reveals that only 6 out of 158 U.S. CEOs plan to prioritize bringing workers back to the office full-time by 2024. This indicates a shift in the mindset of executives, who are increasingly accepting hybrid work arrangements as the norm for knowledge workers. Another survey by Deloitte found that 65% of CFOs expect their company to offer a hybrid work arrangement this year. Remote work is likely to be the most persistent economic legacy of the pandemic, with 20%-25% of U.S. workers currently working from home part of the week. Employees prefer flexibility...... read more >

Atlassian's approach to distributed work, known as Team Anywhere, has enabled employees to choose where they work since 2020. The company's workforce has become highly distributed, with employees collaborating from over 10,000 locations. Despite this, 92% of employees say the distributed work policy allows them to do their best work, and 91% consider it an important reason for staying at Atlassian. The company has also seen benefits such as increased representation of women in certain geographies and high visitation rates to their offices. Atlassian shares their insights and key findings from...... read more >

This article discusses the recent announcement by Mike Hopkins, the senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, regarding Amazon's mandate for employees to work in the office rather than from home. Hopkins claimed that working in the office is better without providing any data to back up his statement, relying instead on personal belief. The article argues that this reflects a favoring of belief over data and highlights three common responses when facts contradict one's beliefs: claiming complexity, creating alternative facts, or denying opposing facts exist. The text then... read more >

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to reduce bias in hiring, particularly in male-dominated fields like tech. Research by Andreas Leibbrandt, an economist at Australia's Monash University, suggests that when women know AI, rather than humans, will evaluate their job applications, they are more likely to apply. However, Leibbrandt emphasizes that humans should still have the final say in hiring decisions. While women in the study felt that AI was less biased than humans, men felt that the introduction of AI removed a perceived privilege they had with human recruiters. Overall, AI...... read more >

The C-suite is bracing for the impact of AI within their organizations, but are they prepared for their own jobs to be impacted? According to a report by Workday, half of CEOs say their organization is at least somewhat unprepared for AI and machine learning adoption. However, decision-makers are generally optimistic about their organization's ability to adapt. CEOs believe that AI will significantly amplify human potential. To master the changes AI enables, C-suite executives need to augment their decision-making with AI. The study also found that the ability to work closely with new... read more >

In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to have a significant impact on various sectors. In healthcare, AI is being used to develop predictive models for disease diagnosis and personalized treatment plans. In the financial sector, AI algorithms are being implemented for fraud detection and risk assessment. In education, AI is being used to personalize learning experiences and automate administrative tasks. In retail, AI has transformed supply chains and enhanced customer experiences. In human resources, AI is streamlining recruitment processes and predicting employee attrition.... read more >

This article discusses the rise of edge computing and its impact on data processing. Edge computing involves processing data locally on devices or edge servers, which reduces latency and enhances real-time processing capabilities. The benefits of edge computing include enhanced real-time processing, improved bandwidth efficiency, and improved data privacy and security. Edge computing can be applied across various industries, including healthcare, smart cities, and manufacturing. It enables real-time processing of patient data in healthcare, facilitates efficient decision-making in smart... read more >

The year 2023 saw widespread hype around generative AI, with expectations of AI-powered advancements becoming common. However, in 2024, there will be a need to readjust expectations as evidence emerges showcasing the limitations of generative AI. These models are prone to providing false information and hallucinations, making it difficult to anchor predictions to known truths. Anticipation of exponential productivity improvements and artificial general intelligence will prove unfounded, leading to a shift in focus towards identifying human tasks that can be augmented by these models.... read more >

This article discusses the development of an AI Inference System that aims to replicate human-like reasoning and decision-making. The system utilizes the Q* Algorithm to enhance the efficiency of searching within a logical inference system, prioritizing the most promising paths and increasing the speed and accuracy of problem resolution. The article also highlights the usefulness of theorem proving in generative AI, as it enhances the system's ability to infer new information based on existing knowledge. Additionally, it explores the concepts of linear resolution with selection functions,... read more >

Accenture's CEO of North America, Manish Sharma, believes that companies who do not fully embrace and invest in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies risk falling behind their competitors. Accenture itself is in the process of investing $3 billion over three years to expand its AI capabilities. Sharma highlights the potential impact of large language models like ChatGPT and Google Bard on working hours, estimating that they could impact 40% of working hours. He also emphasizes the importance of addressing bias in AI models and the need for scalability in AI deployment. Overall, Sharma... read more >