“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust”

Excerpt From
Walden by Henry David Thoreau

When we say someone is more knowledgeable, it generally is a short-hand way of saying that they have more experience stored somewhere in their brain. …

Just saw the coded euphemism again. “People should focus on more value-add activities while machines take care of the drudgery.”

No, this was not the usual call center automation or the automated claim assignment sort of things that we hear about all the time.

This ‘drudgery’ automation was aimed at…

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Effectiveness seems to be more important than efficiency. Being effective means my effort is meeting its purpose. I am achieving my goals. This is distinct from being efficient in my efforts. …

Current AI revolution would not be possible without enablers. In fact, a lot of AI is theory is not really new even though some techniques are. But it is the many other environmental factors that are reaching critical mass — enabling AI realization.

We now have cheaper, powerful, miniaturized computing; increasing streams of accessible data; higher consumer expectations with digital personal assistants and self-driving cars; serious public policy discussions around employment and universal basic income — and even draft proposals on changes to laws if AI were ‘people’ and had ‘ethical challenges’.

Tracking AI progress means tracking advances and challenges in all of these environmental enablers too.

“Self-preservation design” of the blockchain is threatened by quantum computing with its potential encryption busting applications. Blockchain and Machine Learning are a powerful mix for AI “DNA”, but impact of quantum computing should be threaded into the discussion here.

While the AI is becoming smarter by slurping up all knowledge in its cave somewhere, our ‘dumb’ systems already use knowledge stored as ‘data’.

Before joining the hunt for this hidden knowledge, let’s agree on a couple of working definitions.

Data are interrelated facts about an entity or group of…

“I don’t have time to connect to the knowledge-pump right now. So, I will just take the jar today. And also this medium coffee, please. Thanks!”

This dialog is science fiction even twenty years after Neo learnt martial arts in a few minutes through a pipe connected to his brain…