Thoughts on AI

A comparison between taxi drivers in South Africa and AI-generated code. They are not as different as you might think.

AI really is to blame for many things. But it also makes a wonderful and very up-to-date excuse when you need one. Here are some excuses to try at home and at work.

Does the combination of AI and humans in call centres really improve service. Or is it the worst of both worlds?

South African engineers created the Rooi Valk helicopter. Imagine if they used those skills to create an AI robo-dog to protect Eskom and telecoms site. Enter Rambo the Rooi Hond!

These are uncertain times, in part because of AI. But we need to guard against automation bias. Oversight is necessary, and it is a human role. Even Claude knows we don’t do it well enough.

AI is getting faster, but people aren’t. We deal with warnings about AI taking over tasks, and the real fatigue of switching between too many jobs. And then AI still hallucinates.

Now your social media accounts can be immortal. Meta has patented a system that can use AI to simulate a your social activity after you are dead.