What’s On My Mind

Autotune: the bane or boon of pop music? Picture it as a crutch for singers who can't quite hit the mark, a relic from the '98 Cher era. Now, it's evolved into an artistic plaything for the likes of Kanye and Travis Scott.

Ah, but listen closely, friends! That digital twang betrays its presence, and herein lies the rub. As AI-generated music advances, autotune-savvy artists are making it easy for AI to mimic, cover, or even steal their thunder.

Consider Chris Stapleton's soulful version of "Tennessee Whiskey" – a challenge for AI to replicate. But with Rihanna? It’s child's play.

So, did autotune usher in a Faustian bargain, where singers traded talent for tech (cue Robert Johnson), only to find AI lurking to collect its due? Time will tell, but the crossroads may be real.

For a taste of AI-generated music, here is a a sampling: aihits.co 

Let’s jam on.

A special “And There Off!” 👋 to my NEW SUBSCRIBERS! 
To read previous posts, go here.

In this edition we will

1. get Singular

2. turn ideas, notes, articles into a sweet outline

3. list some upcoming AI-related events

4. question forthcoming GPT-5

5. check in on OpenAI’s Italy & EU policy challenges

6. hear what Mark Cuban (and others) have to say

7. meme its no longer plastics

The Singularity: Ray Kurzweil

In the age of ChatGPT, the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence seems like a recent phenomenon. But what if I told you that much of this "thinking" and "hand-wringing" around AI has been contemplated for decades? Enter Ray Kurzweil, a renowned futurist, inventor, and author, whose groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence and human longevity has been blowing minds and shaping our reality since the late 20th century.

The 75-year-old computer scientist and former Google engineer, who received the National Medal of Technology in 1999 and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2002, has made many predictions throughout his life regarding AI - many of them have come true. What else is coming?

I read his books many years ago. At that time we didn’t even have Siri or Alexa and I found myself sort of thinking Ray is crazy smart or mad (as in scientist). I mean he is known for taking 180 to 210 vitamins and mineral supplements every day! But don’t dismiss him as a nut. This is all part of his quest to elongate human life - both through the body itself and through technology. Artificial intelligence to be precise.

Ray Kurzweil is not your average futurist because many of his astonishing predictions have since come true, such as the rise of the internet, the ubiquity of mobile devices, and the development of AI assistants like ChatGPT. In his books "The Age of Spiritual Machines" (1999) and "The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology" (2005), Kurzweil not only foresaw the dawn of AI, but also meticulously laid out the roadmap (here is an infograph) for humanity's future technological advancements, culminating in the singularity—a point in time where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, leading to an incomprehensible acceleration of progress.

Kurzweil's vision for the future is marked by three overlapping revolutions known as GNR (Genetics, Nanotechnology, and Robotics). He believes that advances in biotechnology, molecular manufacturing, and AI will not only revolutionize industries but also enable humans to transcend biological limitations, merging with machines and expanding our intelligence and capabilities. This may sound like science fiction, but his predictions have been eerily accurate thus far. I list out many of them below.

Kurzweil's unwavering belief in the potential of AI and human longevity is both astounding and inspiring. His founding of Singularity University exemplifies his commitment to educating future generations on harnessing the power of technology to address humanity's greatest challenges. With numerous accolades and best-selling books to his name, Ray Kurzweil has cemented himself as a visionary figure in the realm of AI, life extension, and the future of human civilization.

Measuring Kurzweil’s Predictions

For good measure and to help you understand Kurzweil a bit more, here is a list of some of his predictions over the years and whether they have come true or not.

Predictions mentioned:

Deep (Disturbing?) Thinking on Kurzweil

Well, I must say, as I reentered Kurzweil's intriguing work and perspective, my mind began to whirl with questions and ideas. Some of them filled me with excitement, while others left me feeling a bit like I was trying to comprehend the vastness of the universe - a task that leaves my brain feeling rather befuddled.

So, without further ado, here's a glimpse into the fascinating musings that emerged as I explored the extraordinary world of generative AI:

Puzzling Queries:

1. AI's Inner Life: What if AI could develop its own sense of self-awareness and consciousness? The implications for AI rights and the very definition of life would be profound, leaving us to grapple with the ethical treatment of AI and perhaps even a redefinition of consciousness itself.

2. Outsmarting Ourselves: Imagine a world where generative AI outpaces human innovation, making AI-driven creations the standard rather than the exception. How would we, as humans, adapt to a world where our own creative input takes a backseat to machine ingenuity?

3. Rewriting History: Could generative AI change our understanding of history and culture by accurately recreating lost languages, art, and architecture? If so, we might find ourselves with a revolutionary new approach to studying history and a unique window into long-lost civilizations.

Intriguing Notions:

1. AI as Ethical Arbiter: Picture a world where advanced generative AI could evaluate moral dilemmas and make ethical decisions. We'd be left to ponder whether AI could help us navigate complex moral issues more effectively than humans and, if so, what that might mean for the future of leadership and governance.

2. AI Soulmates: As generative AI continues to evolve, humans may form deep emotional connections with AI entities. This AI companionship could offer a solution to issues like loneliness and mental health in our digital age, raising questions about the future of human relationships.

3. AI Policy Wizards: Envision generative AI revolutionizing policymaking by analyzing complex global issues like climate change or economic inequality and proposing innovative solutions. With its ability to process vast amounts of data and simulate various scenarios, AI-driven policymaking could transform the way we tackle global challenges and boost our ability to create a sustainable future.

Interested to learn more about Ray?

1. Immortality is attainable by 2030: Google scientist

2. Nanotech could make humans immortal by 2040, futurist says

3. Opinion letter from Ray Kurzweil on request for 6 month delay on large language models that go beyond GPT-4

4. 8 STAGGERING PREDICTIONS FROM RAY KURZWEIL

USE CASE Content to Presentation

Have you ever needed to write an email, article, or prepare a presentation based on a collection of ideas or topics? Usually, you'd read and re-read the materials, take notes, and then attempt to organize everything in a coherent and logical manner.

Though you may excel at this, it can be quite time-consuming.

Why not utilize a prompt to jumpstart the process? While you'll still need to fine-tune the content, a prompt can help you achieve more than 80% progress in under 30 seconds. This way, you can focus on refining your work and save valuable time.

▶︎▶︎PROMPT

Below I will paste some content.
I would like you to improve and reorganize these notes using these criteria: novelty, resonance, engaging writing style, and possible addition of related concepts:
Novelty: Counter-intuitive, counter-narrative, shock and awe, elegant articulations.
Resonance: Clear understanding, persuasive reasoning, sustained curiosity, and storytelling through analogy and metaphor.
Writing style: Vividness, imaginative engagement, eccentricities and humor, vivid metaphors, and elimination of unimportant details.

[paste your content]

For illustrative purposes, I took my Ray Kurzweil essay above and ran it through this prompt. It produces a great outline that I could use to structure my new content.

Here is what I got back. I messed up the first time so scroll to the second prompt.

I will probably use this on a long form article I wrote way back when but is still relevant today and gets many readers every week“ - Is Legal Design Bullish*t?” I will be teaching legal business design in Germany over the summer and so I might want to break this long article down into something more easily consumable. That is what got me tinkering with this prompt. I hope it helps you with some things.

AI Events: 

May 10 to 11, 2023, 3rd Data Driven Government Conference - Dubai, UAE

May 11 to 12, 2023, Data Innovation Summit 2023 - Stockholm, Sweden (virtual)

May 16 to 17, 2023, Conversational AI Summit - London, UK

May 17 to 18, 2023, AI and Big Data Expo North America - Santa Clara, CA

May 23 to 26, 2023, Upper Bound - Edmonton, AB

June 7, 2023, Data Science Salon NYC: Applying AI & ML in Finance & Technology - New York

June 7 to 8, 2023, AI World Congress - London, UK

News you can Use: 

GPT-5 May Be a Huge Leap Forward to Kurzweil’s Predictions

GPT-4 is still blowing minds. With rumors that GPT-5 will finish its training by December, many think we are on the precipice of AGI - artificial general intelligence. Think of AGI as the stuff we see in movies.

OpenAI’s regulatory woes have barely started

Italy’s GDPR restrictions were just a taste of what lies ahead for ChatGPT.

OpenAI recently resolved issues with Italian data authorities, lifting the effective ban on ChatGPT in Italy. However, the company faces ongoing challenges with European regulators. Concerns have been raised over the collection of unlicensed training data, misinformation, and GDPR compliance. Italy had accused OpenAI of violating GDPR in four ways, including providing inaccurate information, inadequate data collection notifications, lack of legal justification for processing personal data, and insufficient protection for children under 13. While ChatGPT has returned to Italy, regulatory investigations continue in Germany, France, Spain, and Canada.

The primary regulatory concerns fall into two categories:

1. ChatGPT's training data sources

2. OpenAI's delivery of information to users.

In addition to the GDPR, the EU is working on the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), which will address AI-specific issues and work alongside GDPR. The AIA may classify large-scale AI systems like ChatGPT as "high risk" services. OpenAI has made some changes to meet Italian regulators' demands but must continue to address concerns and adapt to future AI regulations.

News you can Lose: 

Mark Cuban on ChatGPT

Mark Cuban is one of the Sharks on Shark Tank in the US. He is also an entrepreneur turned billionaire. In 1990 he sold his first tech company for $6 million. This would just be the start.

Anyway, it is worth noting his opinion on ChatGPT. But read through the comments in the thread as they show some interesting takes. Oh and for context, HTML (short for hypertext markup language) can be thought of as the building blocks of the internet. It’s the basic coding language used to build websites and determine how they appear to users.

In the Memetime: 

That's a wrap for today. Stay thirsty & see ya next time! If you want more, be sure to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

DISCLAIMER: None of this is legal advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not legal advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any legal decisions. Please /be careful and do your own research.