We recently had a discussion at work about whether we should keep paying for the AI service that’s integrated into our tools. Interestingly, most of the people said no. Either they were using a different AI that they thought was better, or they didn’t think AI was very good or helpful (roughly 50/50).
I was one of two people who said no, don’t cancel our license quite yet. I don’t think we’ve found the limits or a better solution yet. We’re not done figuring out this one yet.
It’s not great, but it’s not awful either. It does a fairly mixed job at helping us out. And we’re still figuring out how to best use it.
I don’t think it’s right to either go all in on it, nor to snub it and avoid it. We have to find that sweet spot where it’s useful and helpful but not disruptive, and where the boundaries of that lie. And that’s difficult because it’s not something any of us were trained for or thought we’d be doing.
Edit:
BTW, that’s from the SF Chronicle, which from an academic perspective must have had an intriguing journey over the past 50 years with the rise of Silicon Valley. Are there any interviews with past editors describing how the changing environment affected their journalistic focus?
My job thankfully doesn’t use it, but there are built in AI tools with the Microsoft stuff we use. It’s mostly ignored by everyone but I do use copilot once in a blue moon for work tasks that are time wasters, don’t have confidential info, and whatever output I’m given in not taking at have value. It’s mostly formatting and Excel stuff.
I presume there’s space for better automation with AI in the future and I’m not against it, but I’m glad my company is keeping all of it mostly at arms length
In a statement to The Cut, J.Crew says it is “always exploring new forms of creative expression, expanding how we work, and finding fresh, innovative ways to create content. This partnership with Sam Finn Studio is one of many examples of how we engage artists of all genres.”
I avoid AI systems, and turn if off if it’s baked into something I use (if possible). The article linked below reminds me of past experiences checking out tax preparation companies. I did not want to use Big Tax Software, because of privacy concerns. However, no local firm would confirm that they wouldn’t just take my money and enter my information into one of those databases anyway. So, I’m still doing my own taxes offline. Does the IRS just scan everything they receive in the mail? Sure. However, if my information is leaked there won’t be any finger-pointing about who is to blame.
Medical information is more difficult to control:
I might have to come up with a new set of questions to ask my healthcare providers from now on, or check out their office software…
I wonder if any class action suits are underway against AI companies. Many people, including me, are paying larger utility bills because their data centers are sucking up so much energy.
I saw that this morning and was pleased to see everyone piling on “no that was a live modelling gig, I was modelling too. It was the morning of December the 4th 2024”. “Yeah, I photographed him”. Etc.
