It’s the middle of March, so it’s a bit late to be talking about tech predictions for 2024. But I saw one from CompTia that I definitely believe:
The term ‘AI’ just might become slightly overused.
“During 2024 the term AI will become the number one term to promote all products, goods, services and strategies above and beyond the IT industry. Plumbers will talk about how AI will assist in the best pipes to use. Dog stylists will use AI to determine that best look for your poodle.”
Of their 10 tech predictions for 2024, only 4 didn’t have the term “AI” in the title.
So much controversy
I haven’t checked, but I expect that most predictions for 2024 refer to AI in some way. This week, three very different approaches to AI caught my attention. If you imagine a scale ranging from very positive to very negative, these are all at different points.
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On the positive end of the scale is Singapore. The Singapore government believes that AI is here to stay, and that it will result in outdated knowledge and jobs. So they have introduced a new SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. This will provide subsidies for people aged 40 and above to become reskilled. I am also impressed at their recognition that reskilling can take months, not days.
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On the negative end of the scale is a report commissioned by the U.S. government. This is concerned about the national security risks that stem from AI. It alleges that, in the worst case, AI could cause an “extinction-level threat to the human species”.
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Somewhere in the middle is a horse-racing system that uses AI to place bets. It claims to guarantee more wins and profit. I’m sure there are plenty of get-rich-quick schemes based on AI, but it’s the first I’ve seen. It embraces AI, but I’m not comfortable with the possible consequences. (One user claimed that the system worked so well that, for the first time in years, he was making a profit. I’m not sure that person needs more encouragement to gamble.) I also saw a spam comment that claims AI is the work of the devil. I didn’t read the rest, but I expect it drops off the scale completely.
Vent your frustrations with an insult
After all that, you might feel the need to indulge in some verbal abuse. AI is ready to help!
Insult Battle is an AI game where you and the AI insult each other. You type in an insult, and it responds with a sneering reply.
Most of us don’t have time to think up silly insults. So if you need to insult someone or something, do it in a productive way.
A passphrase is a password made from a combination of words. Passphrases are harder to crack, so they improve the security of your account. You can use the insult passphrase generator to vent your frustration, and protect your data at the same time!
As always, I’d love to hear your comments.