Navigating the New Age of AI: A Journey from Visual Basic to Custom GPTs
Story by @robtyrie genned with ChatGPT.
IN the grand tapestry of technological evolution, every now and then, a new thread is woven that fundamentally alters the pattern. In the early 90s, it was Microsoft’s Visual Basic, a harbinger of a new era in programming windows apps for everyone. Today, it’s OpenAI’s Custom GPTs - small machines energizing the way towards an AI-centric future. As a serial entrepreneur deeply entrenched in the crossroads of technology and innovation, I find these moments exhilarating. They mark the dawn of new possibilities, democratizing technology in ways previously unimagined.
The Democratization of Technology: A Recurring Theme
Visual Basic’s introduction was a watershed moment. It broke down the barriers of complex coding, offering a more intuitive, user-friendly interface. It was a clarion call to the masses - programming wasn’t just for the gatekeepers and expert programmers anymore. Similarly, OpenAI’s Custom GPTs are reshaping the AI landscape. These tools are not just for data scientists or AI researchers; they’re for everyone, offering personalized AI experiences. They’ll be useful in creating automated tasks, workflows and new ways of finding or accessing information that’s needed to do people’s jobs. Specific use cases and knowledge can be applied that are custom to your organization using these tools. And, you’re able to do this without any programming. This echoes my belief in the power of technology to empower and inspire.
From GUIs to AI: A Continuum of Innovation
The leap from text-based coding to a Graphical User Interface (GUI) in Visual Basic was monumental. It was a tangible manifestation of my philosophy: technology should adapt to people, not the other way around. Humans are visual creatures and the buttons and tabs made it easy to manipulate information that was constrained to a screen. Today, Custom GPTs are the next step in this journey. They provide a platform where AI can be molded to fit individual needs, removing the one-size-fits-all approach that often limits technological tools. All these gpt’s are immediately voice activated and multilingual in this technology. That was unthinkable decades ago. We moved from a graphical user interface to a language user interface — the LUI. It’s up to designers to think of designing constructs to make it natural for the exploration of the ideas in language rather than buttons, forms, fields and lists.
Unleashing Creative Potentials
With Visual Basic, we saw an explosion of creativity in software development. It was no longer about churning out code; it was about solving real-world problems, about innovation. Custom GPTs are set to ignite a similar renaissance. As someone who thrives at the intersection of technology and creativity, I see immense potential in how these AI models can transcend traditional boundaries, fostering a culture of creative problem-solving.
The Path Forward: Ethical and Responsible Innovation
Every technological leap brings its own set of challenges. With Visual Basic, it was about ensuring efficient, effective scalable code. With Custom GPTs, the conversation pivots to ethical AI, data privacy, and mitigating biases. As I’ve often espoused, with great power comes great responsibility. It’s imperative that as we embrace these advanced AI tools, we remain vigilant about their ethical and responsible use.
Envisioning the Future
Visual Basic was more than a programming language; it was a vision of the future. It enabled a new way of conceiving software to be used by businesses that was easy to use. Similarly, Custom GPTs aren’t just tools; they’re a glimpse into a future where AI is as ubiquitous and essential as software is today. As an entrepreneur and a technologist, I am excited by the prospect of living in a world where AI is not an esoteric concept but a part of everyday life, enhancing and enriching our experiences.
In reflecting on the journey from Visual Basic to Custom GPTs, it’s clear that the core of technological evolution is about making it more accessible, more intuitive, and more aligned with human needs and creativity. As we stand at the brink of this new AI revolution, let’s embrace it with the same enthusiasm and caution as we did with the programming revolution sparked by Visual Basic. The future is here, and it’s ours to shape.
