The Wheat from the Chaff #10

As part of my job, every week I read a lot of content about data, technology, and artificial intelligence (also known as AI). I filter them and send you the best ones, every Sunday.

Hello everyone 👋 ,

In today's edition, our readers suggested a chat about how Generative Artificial Intelligence - an example being ChatGPT - will impact professions and the job market. So, let's go!

It's time to separate THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF…

Less is More

Generative AI has been standout for its ability to seek solutions to a wide range of problems (1), create solutions comparable to those produced by humans (2), and most importantly, for its intuitive use without the need for technical knowledge (3). These are important driving forces, among others, but it is worth noting that current computational and processing capabilities have enabled rapid advancements in this field, forming a perfect storm.

Interestingly, or not, a recent study by Goldman Sachs analyzed the impact of Artificial Intelligence on economic growth and the significant changes that are expected to occur in the job market. Historically, technological advancements challenge our perception of employment, allowing for new concepts and forms of relationship between companies and employees. The popularity of the internet and online communication tools, for instance, has made it possible for tasks to be performed remotely in certain sectors.

The ease of use has allowed ChatGPT to reach 1 million users in just five days, whereas Facebook took 10 months to achieve that milestone. In recent editions, we have discussed the relationship between AI and important topics such as efficiency, costs, and productivity. However, in the context of generative AI, the potential impact is significantly greater, as the range of tasks that can be automated grows exponentially, given its ability to seek solutions to various problems.

We can imagine, for the sake of simplification, that the job market is composed of professions that can be divided into two distinct groups. In the first group, only some tasks are susceptible to generative AI and can be automated. In the second group, the entire set of tasks can be automated. After the adoption of AI, professionals in the first group will have a portion of their capacity liberated to perform higher-value tasks, while those in the second group will need to transition to other (existing) or new professions that will emerge.

Regarding Brazil, we are still at the beginning of a digitalization process, which gained more traction during the pandemic. The reallocation of professionals, as described for group two, needs to be preceded by a requalification stage. How can we enable a gas station attendant or a bus conductor to acquire the skills needed for another profession?

A study published in 2021 by economists David Autor, Anna Salomons, and Bryan Seegmiller, based on US census data, estimated that 60% of workers are currently employed in professions that did not exist in 1940. Historically, this movement between professions, caused by technological advancements, tends to converge towards a balance in terms of new professions and employment growth.

In this scenario of generative AI and ChatGPT, did you know that there is a new profession called a Prompt Engineer? A prompt serves as an instruction or question that guides the AI to produce a specific response or perform a task. If you open ChatGPT and ask, for example, "What is the capital of Brazil?", you are providing a prompt, and the AI will respond based on the knowledge stored in its database; in this case, "The capital of Brazil is Brasília." I used this example to show that this transformation is already happening. The unfolding relies on how AI capabilities will continue to evolve, the speed of adoption, and the ethical discussion involved. As Bill Gates stated, the AI Era has begun!

Enhancing our humanity with AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being applied in Duque de Caxias (RJ) to enhance public security and combat crime. The Integrated Command and Control Center of Baixada Fluminense (CICC-BF) employs over 300 cameras to identify vehicle license plates and track suspects based on their physical characteristics and clothing. In 2023, 43 vehicles have been recovered thanks to this technology. Recently, a thief was arrested near the central train station after a witness provided details about the suspect's appearance and clothing.

Projects like these usually employ AI algorithms and computer vision techniques to detect patterns and suspicious activities from a vast set of images. In the case of surveillance cameras, the analysis is done in real-time, enabling a more agile and effective response from authorities, thereby enhancing security and public order.

Interesting topics in Brazil:

• 🔗 Link: Google will include Artificial Intelligence in its search.

• 🔗 Link: ChatGPT enters companies’ routines.

Trending topics Global:

• 🔗 Link: Tendencies in the data World for 2023.

• 🔗 Link: 05 steps for SaaS companies to protect their data in the cloud.

Guest of the Week: AI Index

The AI Index is an annual report that monitors and evaluates the advancement of Artificial Intelligence in various areas, including technical performance, investment, and social impact. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of AI and future trends, as well as the challenges that need to be overcome. The report is prepared by a multidisciplinary team from Stanford University, along with external contributors.

The report presents very interesting points related to various topics, including the environment. The conclusion is that artificial intelligence is both helping and harming the environment. On one hand, it helps optimize energy usage through AI-powered models. On the other hand, it harms the environment due to carbon emissions. Several factors determine the amount of carbon emissions generated by AI systems, including the number of parameters in a model. Generally, models with more "capabilities" tend to have more parameters, resulting in higher carbon emissions.

To access the report click here.

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