The Copying Conundrum: Navigating the Intricacies of Copier and Managed Print Services - West McDonald, The Cannata Report

Greg's Words

Artificial intelligence is all the rage right now; bigger than the digital copier, the laser printer, Xerox's, Sharp's, and HP's dealer conferences and earnings calls.  It's bigger than the first calculator, the PC, Novel networks, the cellphone, and the smartphone.

AI, in 2023, is bigger than the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel - this is not hyperbole and I know hyperbole.

West takes on the initial tremor of AI in our little niche.  Good stuff.

Here is a ChatGPT-generated summary of the great, human-created article over at the Cannata Report.

The prompt, 

"Write a concise summary of the article, covering the main points, context, and any relevant details in a business casual style, in 500 words with a 3-point highlight paragraph. Write a LinkedIn post of close to 1350 characters and pull one quote from the article, and write a tweet.

Write a title and a funny tagline, a search question, comma delimited keyword list, and an introduction paragraph based on SEO for the copier industry and copier and managed print services resellers.

Do not use the phrase, In conclusion."

Irony. Enjoy.

Notable Trends in Print Management and MPS - The Cannata Report and Me.

Greg's Words

Scott was the first writer, a real writer, to interview me back in 2009ish.

This piece is an accumulation of interviews by Scott, outlining a good, collection of views and trends within the managed print services niche.

Managed print Services 'died' the day the OEMs reanimated MpS in their own likeness. 

"What is dead, may never die."  The most notable trend in Managed print Services is that it is alive and kicking.

Check it out.

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Harnessing AI: A Game-Changer for Managed Print Services

Where AI meets ink – redefining the print management landscape.

Key Highlights:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds the potential to revolutionize print management and Managed Print Services (MPS), adding efficiency, security, and advanced features.
2. AI can enhance print security by providing forensic accounting and intrusion prevention, bolstering the overall cybersecurity profile of the MPS landscape.
3. Intelligent document processing (IDP), a new AI-powered technology, promises to streamline the handling of unstructured data, improving workflow accuracy and efficiency.

Greg's Words

No matter what the innovation, we are always left with a final statement and question:  "This is great technology and really interesting ideas - but, how can I generate revenue, today, with this?"  

With Artificial Intelligence, most of the financial impact is on the cost reduction, and increased productivity side of the equation.  Sure, we can reduce the cost of doing work with AI.  We can interface with prospects and customers with AI ChatBots, with no problem.  The cost benefits are obvious.  But putting together a product based on AI, for my existing Office Technology clients, is a major challenge.

AI is considered a process-enhancing solution.

It's like the inventors of refrigeration - they didn't get rich, but the companies that used refrigeration, like Coke, did.

We need to find that "Coke".

Meanwhile, folks in our niche are beginning to see, and talk about how AI will 'impact' managed print services, and to be frank, it is not new. it's just faster.

I have no doubt that we will see AI 'products' on the market within the next few months, before the end of the year.

We've put together a quick synopsis of the current outlook for MpS as the waves of AI wash onto our shores.

Enjoy.

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Selling Copiers in the Big City - Don't Mind the Maggots

Is there a better picture illustrating NYC's struggles?

Greg's Words

Not to kick someone when they are down, but NYC is in bad shape with crime is a symptom of failed, short-sighted, agenda-driven, and ignorant policies.  

The exodus, the move to remote work, and the hollow, transparent arguments from the mayor to return to the cubicle combined with a deep seeded sense of victimhood, conscious bias, and entitlement, swirl together in a rank, putrid, oozing sense of doom.

Why would ANYONE want to put themselves through this gauntlet, just to 'collaborate in person'?

New York City was on my list of Greg's Top Ten cities in the US - New York, San Fransisco, Seattle, Chicago, Portland, Las Vegas, Laguna Beach, San Diego, South Beach(Miami), and Scottsdale.

Honorable mention: Milwaukee, and Detroit which are dangerous, but manageable.

The sun goes down

The night rolls in

You can feel it

Starting all over again

The moon comes up

And the music calls...

Here's the rub - As you(we) sell and support Office Technology within the city limits, the number of prospects in those cities has tumbled with no possible increase for the foreseeable future.

How are you going to continue to grow and build your book of office technology business when employees don't want to come to an office?  Crime, or the PERCEPTION of possible harm, not only hurts the image of once great(the return to greatness will happen) cities but degrades the opportunity for you to sell more copiers, IT services, managed print, scanners, document management software, etc.

It's just one more 'thing'.  There are great people in Chicago, New York, San Fransisco, and all the other cities on the path Detroit has been traveling since the 70s - they will come back, better, stronger and different.

In the meantime, those who stay may be Champions.  You love The City, your city, "It's in your moves

It's in your blood".  

Hang in there, everything changes.

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Artificial in Education: ChatGPT Brings One-on-One Teaching to Scale

Title: "Khan Academy is using ChatGPT to bring one-on-one teaching to scale."

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: May 21, 2023

Greg's Words

We're still looking for AI's impact on revenue while it starts to penetrate the cost reduction side of the balance sheet.  

Meanwhile, on the education front, fear is giving way to innovation.  One school is utilizing ChatGPT to enhance its educational journey.

Selling technology to education is a pain - isn't it?  Bids, low technical skill, and no business acumen in the decision-making process make the effort singularly based on price, not results.

It's a tough gig, but every now and then, an innovative project comes up overcoming systemic fear and the 'cover your ass' mentality.  

This may be one such event.

 Key highlights:

• Khan Academy is developing an artificial intelligence-based tool, "Khanmigo," aiming to personalize and revolutionize education by integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT.
• Khanmigo enables students to ask questions during lessons or videos, offering personalized and contextually aware responses.
• Khan Academy launched a limited rollout of Khanmigo in March 2023, with wider availability planned for June 15.

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Bud Light - Marketing is Overpowering the Act of Selling

In casting an accusing gaze, one cannot help but point a finger at the masterfully produced drama series, "Mad Men." Our present-day fascination and subsequent overvaluation of marketers find its root in the series' enthralling depiction of the golden era of Madison Avenue.

With the phrase "demand generation" gaining popularity, I must admit I remain at odds with its premise. I maintain that demand is not a construct, rather it's something to be unearthed. If anything, demand should be drawn in, courted even, not relentlessly pursued with aggressive targeting. Yes, I confess, I may be leaning toward the idealistic end of the spectrum.

Has Marketing turned demographics into stereotypes or were they the same thing all along?

I blame one of the best shows ever, Madmen. 

Marketers have been given too much credit and now too much power.

I never agreed with the phrase, "demand generation".  In my mind, one does not create demand, one discovers demand; at the very best demand is attracted not targeted.  Idealistic, I know.

This Bud Light thing is dumb.  The Sports Illustrated thing is dumb.  The NFL thing is dumb.

Nobody is stopping anybody from buying Bud Light, there is no evil force that excludes folks from any planet from attending a football or basketball game.

Get it?  The World, at least here, includes EVERYONE.

Cyber CEOs: The Rise of AI-Assisted Leadership

From scheduling to drafting emails, artificial intelligence is reshaping the corporate world and executive support roles.

Greg's Words

It's happening right now.  AI is eating the world, one process at a time, millions of times a second.

The C-Suite understands that data, reports, and scheduling can be accomplished by the great AI in the Sky.  The administration position is on the path to obscurity. Once the AI in the sky connects with airline, travel, and hotel apps(and the millions of other kinetic applications) the circle will be complete:

Everything from ordering lunch, delivering groceries, booking flights, and getting tickets for the play/game/concert will be handled by our unique and personal assistant - The AI.

Imagine the myriad of other jobs and positions that will disintegrate - office jobs.  Jobs that once typed documents, then printed, copied, digitized, stored, and moved data by "hand".  Gone.

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This is Why Musk Is Guilt-Tripping You Back to Your Office - "...people should get off their moral high horse with that work-from-home bullshit..."

 Elon Musk's Autonomous Taxi Business Model

Greg's Words

Musk is playing three-dimensional Majong while the rest of us are watching Saturday morning cartoons.  I believe him when he says managers and office workers at Tesla must be in the office.  When you're building something tangible, it is very poor form to have the folks on the line see colleagues working from the comforts of home - I get that in an automotive start-up.  A continuous state for Tesla.

And I understand the technique of demanding Twitter employees 'get back to the office' when he first took control of the Bluebird - he was giving those who didn't want to work at Twitter the opportunity to fly the coop.  And they did.

So when he nearly popped a blood vessel the other day, demanding "...people should get off their moral high horse with that work-from-home bullshit..."(People?  What 'People"?)  I took note.  Literally, I took notes.

But of course - just a scant few minutes earlier, he outlined how he could sell Teslas today at no profit, but look forward to 5 times more in the coming years - Tesla Taxi Mode.

He rarely publically displays that level of passion - even when his rocket ship blew up, his response was aplomb - but he slept on the shop floor in the early days of Tesla, an entire industry lined up against him even the White House shunned the guy.

He's all wrapped up in Tesla, his first and only child, so every perceived threat, real or unreal will be dealt with great prejudice.

That's it in a nutshell: for Tesla to outlast the rest, autonomous Tesla Taxi Mode is the key, and every Tesla that stays at home, eats into profits.

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📢 Introducing The Office Technology Tap & The Gaming Tap - Your New Essential Reads!

Are you immersed in the Office Technology space? Or are you a gaming enthusiast navigating the thrilling e-gaming landscape? If you answered yes to either, we have exciting news for you! We're thrilled to announce that our dynamic newsletters, The Office Technology Tap and The Gaming Tap, are live, evolving, and constantly adapting to the changing landscape.

Taking inspiration from the data-driven insights of the tireless team at gap Intelligence, we're committed to bringing you the latest news and developments from the frontlines of these exciting industries.

The Office Technology Tap is your go-to resource for:

• Navigating the evolving world of selling solutions
• Adapting business models to the shifting landscape
• Insightful content to help you educate prospects
• And a pulse on the general news of the industry

Our readership spans from the savvy sales trenches to the strategic C-suite, all the way to pioneering company owners. We address the burning questions of the day like:

• Will managed print services remain viable?
• How is the Work From Anywhere movement impacting your business?
• How can your salespeople embrace change, survive trying times, and thrive in the continuous turbulence that is technology?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Embracing Innovation and Technology for Future Business Growth

Innovate, Adapt, and Thrive: The Future of Business Unfolds

Executive Summary:

1. Office equipment dealers seek growth through ancillary products and services, focusing on cloud-based solutions, managed IT, workflow automation, and digital marketing.
2. South African office technology company Nashua celebrates its 50th anniversary by adapting to market changes and prioritizing customer needs.
3. Adobe Photoshop empowers users to add realistic signatures to digital documents, and the increasing use of AI in the workplace raises questions about its integration and potential implications.

Office equipment dealers and businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to grow and adapt to the rapidly evolving market. One way they achieve this is by expanding their offerings with ancillary products and services that complement their existing portfolio. As these dealers strive for success, they prioritize recurring revenue, high-profit margins, and leveraging other products and services.

Read the rest, here.

 

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Musk Goes Off - Hates Work From Anywhere

Musk just went OFF on #WFA.

"...people should get off their moral high horse with that work-from-home bullshit..." - yeah, he said that.

If been watching him for a few weeks(not in a creepy way & I am not a fanboy) he presents as a person who thinks more than he talks and I hadn't seen him emote until this session.

"...you're gonna to make everyone else who made your car come work in the factory... you're gonna tell the people who make your food that they can't work from home... the people that come fix your house they can't work from home but you can... does that seem morally right? That's messed up..."

Now to be fair, a few minutes before he says all this, he explains how he could sell Telsas for no profit, but look forward to a 5x profit from his EVs in the future.

Huh? What?

"The Things We Think And Do Not Say." Selling Copiers & Technology.

As management urges for higher productivity, AI and automation emerge as key allies in the modern workspace.

For decades, we in the copier industry have been telling prospects our hardware "increases productivity and reduces costs". 

We lied. 

Well, we defined the narrative to fit our mission of selling 10 copiers a month. (or whatever) 

The world is increasing productivity and reducing costs through more efficient workflows - and if you are simply selling copiers, printers, or MpS, they are doing it without you and viewing your relationship as a target for cost reduction. 

AI eats workflows 24/7 and will decimate everything from middle management to the C-Suite.

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Don't Fear AI - Play It.

A violin is a technology.  So is a drum and at the base, language is THE technology.

Music is a process.  The analogy between this performance and business processes like A/R, Order Entry, and Customer services is stunning.

The photocopier, desktop, firewall, phone system, and spreadsheets are technologies. 

Beethoven created this with the technology of the day(1785) - What will AI help create today, that will be around 238 years from now?

Are You Selling Copiers & Office Tech to Law Firms? Not For Long

AI Is Changing the Legal Industry

“It has the capacity to reshape the practice of law,” Mr. Villasenor said. Previous waves of automation mostly affected blue-collar jobs in industries like manufacturing, or back-office roles that required many calculations, such as accounting or mortgage processing. 

Rapid developments in AI could pose threats to the type of work performed in white-collar professions, like the practice of law..." - WSJ

Greg's Words

See, I told you so.  One of the most paper-intense business models in the history of print is going to someday soon, be inhabited by Chat Agents.

Imagine ChatGPT attached to the Nexus/Lexus databases.  Every judgment, law, regulation, and legal action is at the disposal of savvy prompt-generating Legal Eagles.

• Roll-playing with AI before a trial.
• Digging up every relevant precedence, ever.
• Determining which jury members are the best to accept and reject.
• And mathematically predict outcomes.

This changes everything.

A quick summary of a WSJ article.  Enjoy.

Key highlights:

• Law firms and in-house legal departments are employing AI tools using GPT-4 technology to handle writing and research tasks, traditionally assigned to entry-level lawyers.
• The AI tools are set to revolutionize white-collar jobs, potentially affecting 44% of legal work, as per a Goldman Sachs report.
• Despite AI's promise, there are concerns about uploading sensitive data to cloud-based products and the opacity of AI software.

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Revolutionizing Copier Service : Harnessing AI Chatbots and AR for Enhanced Customer Experience

Empowering Copier Service, Document Management, and User Support with AI Chatbots

Greg's Words

If Wendy's can train a Chatbot to take drive-through orders, why can't copier OEMs train bots to handle Tier 1,2, and maybe 3-level customer support calls? 

Taking orders, interpreting multiple dialects, accents, and jargon securing correct orders has got to be as challenging as telling an end user how to install a toner cartridge, right?

The notion is far from original as Xerox has been on this path for a few years now(if not longer).  Indeed our little niche may be a laggard on this front as many other service-centric industries are not only exploring but implementing remote, augmented reality, and AI-supported field service teams.

If one of our dealers could build a remote service system, utilizing remote diagnostics, augmented reality lenses, and artificial intelligence, they would be able to sell the solution to service companies all over the world.

Another pipedream, keep selling those toner cartridges.

We grabbed three articles and put them through the AI in the Sky to produce a simple piece outlining the opportunity and current status of AI Chatbots enhancing customer experiences.

Enjoy!

Unveiling Bias: Comparing Headlines and Assessing Editorial Neutrality at the Wall Street Journal

Uncovering the Impact of Loaded Language and Biased Headlines on Journalism's Demise - Insights from the Wall Street Journal

Here are two headlines Illustrating the Downfall of Journalism, from nonother than the Mighty Wall Street Journal -#WSJ #loaded

Real Headlines, May 11, 2023:

1. "Trump Mocks Sexual Abuse Case, Repeats False 2020 Election Claims at CNN Town Hall"

2. "Migrant Influx Overwhelms Southern Border as Title 42 Winds Down"

These use loaded language. For me, there are better and more neutral headline alternatives. Moreover, in light of the movement to regulate AI, who can we trust to be neutral, and unbiased when developing rules and regs for the general use and mass adoption of artificial intelligence?

There is a connection between journalistic standards and artificial intelligence evolution.  These headlines bear this out.

Consider the process involved with developing and publishing headlines.  There is a conscious, human process involved when choosing words - especially when your lifestyle and business model are based on the presentation and usage of WORDS.

Remember, the current AI darling, ChatGPT is a large LANGUAGE model that uses AI to predict the next word based on the previous words and learned models;  every teacher in the history of the world has biases.

The advancements in technology, especially AI, make it mandatory that we as humans hone our now dull skill - critical thinking.

Regardless, these headlines seem posed, positioned, and loaded. Don't take my word for it, I asked the AI In The Sky to analyze both:

#KoinicaMinolta's Sharp Pivot From Profitability: A $800 Million Reversal of Fortune a

When financial forecasts take a U-turn: Konica Minolta in the spotlight.

Greg: Please explain in the simplest manner, this content: 

The company expects to breach one of the clauses of financial covenants in syndicated loan agreements due to the revised forecasts. However, they have obtained consent from all relevant financial institutions not to request the company to forfeit the benefit of time due to this breach.

ChatGPT:

In very simple terms:

The company has borrowed money from several banks, and as part of the agreement, they promised to meet certain financial targets. Because of the changes in their financial forecasts, they expect to break that promise.

Greg's Words

 

Sure, an $800 Million net loss is bad.  And yes, adjusting DOWN is very bad.

But is anyone surprised?  

AI Bill of Rights: What is "Algorithmic Discrimination"

Greg's Words

AI Δnαrchy Now

Most of the time, releases like this from the Whitehouse go without notice.  In the current State of Fear being generated by just about every status quo institution, something this administration and the media in general forcefully promote, it is prudent to keep an eye on what is said, even though it will end up on the 'cutting room floor' of AI history.

An AI "Bill of Rights" sounds impressive, patriotic, rebellious, and official.

Of course, it isn't anything near the real Bill of Rights - irony.

The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a set of five principles and associated practices:

1. Safe and Effective Systems
2. Algorithmic Discrimination Protections
3. Data Privacy
4. Notice and Explanation
5. Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Fallback

I've never heard of "Algorithmic Discrimination" and am curious about "Human Alternatives".

Regardless, I don't see this carrying much water, getting a great deal of traction or otherwise high relevancy of this document.  An interesting, yet out-of-date approach that will end up being nothing more than a footnote in the story of AI Evolution.  

If you feel up to it, read the entire "Bill", here.

We've digested the bill here as a summary for you.  Check it out.

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IBM Announces WatsonX. What is WatsonX?

WatsonX to the Rescue: Transforming Businesses One AI Model at a Time

Greg's Words

For the Enterprise, Big Blue is solidifing its position in the Glass room with their huge application, WatsonX.  

This is not ChatGPT.  It is something the mass market will utilize without knowing. However, it is a IBM's second or third foray into the AI realm, having sold their Watson Health about 15 months ago and will impact all employees at your enterprise level customers ultimately working its way into the supply chain.

Keep an eye on this.  IBM, like most legacy corporations, moves slowly with issues and influences accelerating at the speed of AI. In addition to the technological impacts, large organizations will develop their own way through this stage of business evolution.  They have gravity and push or pull other companies along the transformational path.

Although you may only read about WatsonX, your world will flow around because of applications on this scale.

For enterprises, IBM is cementing its presence in the digital arena with the robust WatsonX application.

This isn't ChatGPT. It's a tool that the mass market will leverage, often unknowingly. IBM is no stranger to AI, having ventured into the realm before with Watson Health, which they sold around 15 months ago. WatsonX will have far-reaching implications, impacting employees across enterprise-level customers and eventually permeating the supply chain.

Keep a close watch on this development. IBM, like many legacy corporations, may move slowly, but the pace of AI-driven changes is swift. Large organizations will navigate this phase of business evolution in their unique ways, exerting their gravitational force on other companies along the transformation journey.

We've put together a summary of three different articles.

Enjoy.

"Hey Hollywood, I Just Made a Seinfeld Episode" - ChatGPT

Opinion | In Hollywood Strike, AI Is Nemesis

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: May 5, 2023

"The BBC even commissioned ChatGPT, an AI language model, to create opening monologues for late-night programs affected by the strike. This has sparked indignation..."

Greg's Words

This is just the beginning and it seems almost 'cosmic' with so many influences converging onto this point in time; the fear of covid, remote working, the restructuring of commercial real estate, artificial intelligence's impact on knowledge workers, and now a strike by a vulnerable segment of the job market, writers. Bad timing.

It doesn't take much to favorably compare the most rudimentary content created by ChatGPT with newscasting, copywriting, and scriptwriting.  The AI does well enough without much prompt engineering - give the controls to directors and watch the number of soap operas, sitcoms, and nightly talk shows quadruple overnight.  With less cost and just as much revenue.

AI doesn't get rid of people, it eliminates rote and mundane processes like creating a treatment, an outline for a show, and creating a script.

So I tried it, with a little help from the AI in the Sky:

"You are a Hollywood writer with decades of experience writing sitcoms for TV.  Put together a treatment and the first two acts of a Siendeld show where the characters witness a UFO landing, a job loss, and meeting the most beautiful woman in New York City.  Provide the storyline, scene description, and script."

In less than a minute:

Treatment:

In this special episode of Seinfeld, the four main characters - Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer - each experience a close encounter with a UFO landing in Central Park, causing all of their lives to change in unexpected ways. Jerry loses a job opportunity, George loses his job, Elaine meets the most beautiful woman in New York City, and Kramer becomes obsessed with the UFO phenomenon. Through their witty banter and clever situational comedy, the gang comes together to navigate these strange events.

Act 1:

Scene 1: Jerry's apartment

OpenAI's ChatGPT Predicts Potential Apocalyptic Scenarios

In an interesting twist, OpenAI's ChatGPT, an AI language model, shared its own predictions on potential apocalyptic scenarios for humanity. 

Greg's Words

Everybody is talking about how AI is going to destroy humanity when it is more likely humanity will destroy humanity.

Heavy hitters in the realm of science, business and AI log in with views on our demise.  Even the AI Wonderboy-de-jour chips in.

Check out our quick take on the end of the world as we know it.

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Key highlights:

• Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, express concerns over AI's rapid development and potential negative impacts.
• Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson warns of the potential "nail in the coffin" for the internet due to AI-generated fakes.
• ChatGPT shares four potential apocalyptic scenarios resulting from various threats to humanity.

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This is The Way: AI and Art

Is Art in the eyes of the creator or beholder?  When an artist creates, does that artist worry about the process of creation?  Of course.  Does the beholder?  Maybe.

Here is the dirty little truth.  The Great Ones simply 'do', adhering to their process.  The listener, observer is experiencing a moment in time REGARDLESS of how that work of art became to be.

We're not thinking of the years Michelangelo spent on his back painting a ceiling - we are impacted, at that unique point in time, by the finished product.

The key question is, "Will AI elicit the same emotional response when creating art?"  

Right now, people are responding as though AI is a threat.  For the mediocre, AI is a threat. While somewhere in the world, artists and creators are gravitating toward AI and embracing it as a new tool; perhaps even a newly discovered color.

Unfortunately, and inevitably, actors will be replaced.  Copywriters will be replaced. Most practical effects folks will be displaced - it is the way of things.  

I point to Disney's "Mandalorian"; if you know, you know.

Here We Go. California is protecting you from “Algorithmic discrimination”.

"ADTs (Automated Decision Tools) are making impactful decisions now,” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan.

Greg's Words

Hold the phone.  "Full Stop"(I hate that phrase). Pump the breaks.  The Assemblymember is referring to artificial Intelligence tools and is worried that these tools will produce outcomes that are "...equitable for all.”

This is one reason why I am calling for AI Anαrchy

Who are the arbitrators of 'equitable'?  Hiding behind the therory of AI bias, or what the bill calls, "Algorithmic discrimination", these lawmakers are actually forcing a bias that may not have been in existence in the first place.

This is just the beginning. AI is evolving by the hour and it doesn't care about legislation.  What is important, and has always been central to technological advances, is how we humans utilize this new tool.

It is up to us and history tells a story - from Fire to Nukes.  Time will tell.

Check out this quick summary of the Bloomberg story.

Key highlights:

• California introduces a sweeping bill to monitor AI usage by employers and industries.
• The legislation targets discrimination in various sectors, including employment, education, and healthcare.
• Businesses are concerned about potential compliance issues and financial penalties, fearing a chilling effect on innovation.

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AI is in Slack

Slack’s New CEO Brings Generative AI to the Workplace Conversation

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: May 5, 2023

The integration of Salesforce data with Slack's messaging app and generative AI could enhance productivity for companies like Paramount Global, according to CIO Lakshman Nathan.

Greg's Words

This was inevitable.  It was bound to happen.

For years, we've sought a unifying force to bridge the gap between disjointed applications. We've grappled with core software systems composed of various elements: one firm's stellar inventory control, another's exceptional order entry interface, and spreadsheets laboring to transform disconnected databases into insightful information.

AI could be the key that not only links everything but also refines the data.

Expect numerous announcements and integrations ahead, but this time, we'll witness the fusion of previously human-centric tasks.

Slack is the latest, but SAP has also shoehorned AI into its core.

We've put together a quick summary, enjoy!

Key highlights:

• Slack unveils new generative AI features, such as summarizing conversations and drafting responses.
• Company releases Canvas, a hub that combines internal documents, Slack messages, and Salesforce customer data.
• 70% of IT leaders in exploration mode with generative AI, with 19% already testing it, according to Gartner Inc.

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ChatGPT Writes this Frost Poem About AI Replacing Writers, April 5

Could ChatGPT lay waste to millions of professional jobs, including journalists?

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: April 5, 2023

"...professionals such as grant writers, data analysts, and HR professionals were able to produce news releases, short reports, and emails in 37% less time and with superior results using ChatGPT..."

Greg's Words

AI is replacing journalists, copywriters, and creatives in all industries.

It's happening right now as the writers in Hollywood strike.  Good luck with that.

Unlike loom operators, automotive painting booths, and redundant manufacturing processes, the creative arts were once thought untouchable by machines or any being possessing a level of intellect less than a painting elephant.

Not anymore. Every creative effort that involves a creator and a beholder is impacted by the '6 billion' points of light ChatGPT can call upon.

What better to illustrate this than through the human beauty that is a sonnet based on the human-generated WSJ article- created in less than 8 seconds, by ChatGPT in the Style of Frost:

"In quiet fields where newsprint grows, I found

A tale of change that spoke with tempered might,

The words upon the page, a solemn sound:

"The robots have arrived to claim our plight."

For now they've come to seize the author's pen,

Their quills of steel and gears in place of hearts,

And in their wake, the question lingers, then:

What fate awaits the souls displaced by arts?

Yet still, the Earth spins on, as change doth turn,

In cycles of creation and demise,

Each era births a new, a lesson learned,

And with each fall, a phoenix tends to rise.

Embrace the march of progress, let it be,

For in its tide, we find our destiny."

_________

We've pulled together this piece based on the WSJ article. Enjoy.

The Case for Unleashing AI: Why Overregulation Stifles Progress

The Case for Unleashing AI: Why Overregulation Stifles Progress

Source:  'The Godfather of AI’ Quits Google and Warns of Danger Ahead, The New York Times

Date: May 1, 2023

Greg's Words

There's plenty of content yelling for more regulation and guardrails to be implemented to corral the evolution of AI.  DOTC does not believe in regulating the prescient and current AI progression.

Not yet and not by 'them'.  There does not exist a reasonable body of experts or influencers without a narrative or shadow movement - Google & Microsoft are fighting for more eyeballs for sponsors. Musk and others struggle to chisel out a revenue stream while the old advertising models are obsolete.

They are in a bind and don't know how to respond so they all want the process to slow down so they can catch up, control, and reinvent AI in their likeness.  We can't allow this.

The Fire must burn, and the Wheel must turn.

AI Anarchy Now. 

Key highlights:

• AI has the potential to revolutionize industries and improve lives.
• Overregulation may hinder progress and stifle innovation.
• Collaboration and transparency are essential for responsible AI development.

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Another Case for Chaining AI: Ex-AI Googler, Dr. Hinton

 'The Godfather of AI’ Quits Google and Warns of Danger Ahead

Source: The New York Times

Date: May 1, 2023

“I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn’t done it, somebody else would have.” - Hinton

Greg's Words

One of the AI pioneers from Google resigned and is speaking up about the dangers of AI.  Another one.  Like others, he is concerned that false information will be spread throughout the Universe at the hands of that dastardly, Modern Day Prometheus, artificial intelligence.

This coming from an ex-Googler is a bit ironic as Google is the King of steering content regardless of truth or falsehood - sponsored gets the top left position.

The list grows;  CRE CxOs, bank Presidents, Hollywood writers, graphic designers, musicians, and academics charging the line for more AI 'regulation'.

Nope.

"AI ἀναρχία" Now.

Enjoy our summary. For an alternative take on the New York Times report, go here.

Key highlights:

• Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, an AI pioneer, resigns from Google to speak freely about the potential dangers of AI.
• Hinton's immediate concern is the spread of false information online and the potential for AI to replace jobs.
• He suggests that global regulation may be necessary to prevent a dangerous AI race between tech giants.

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AI Anarchy Now: Unleashing the True Potential of Artificial Intelligence Without the Constraints of Regulation

 

Embracing AI Progress: How Overregulation Could Limit Its Potential

Source: Wall Street Journal - Opinion

Date: April 28, 2023

A primary concern is that the chatbots, as smart as they are, display erratic and autonomous behaviors." (Susan Schneider and Kyle Kilian, April 28, 2023)

Key highlights:

• AI systems like GPT-4 are approaching human levels of intelligence, sparking concerns.
• Regulation and guardrails hinder AI's potential and stifle innovation.
• Unbridled movement and added energy will result in more organic AI results.

Greg's Words

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, another voice is calling for 'guardrails' and AI 'regulation' as Italy lifts its ban on ChatGPT.

My view, which is dynamic, is no rules, no regulations, no guardrails. For now, I chose AI Anαrchy. Let ChatGPT and all other LLMs/AI run wild.

Two reasons:

1. The current stage of evolution is so turbulent, and at a faster-than-pace, any restriction will have unforeseen and limiting consequences.  Now is the time to push to the Edge.
2. It's too late.  Regulation is futile.

If one calls up visions of killer robots, and fake women eradicating their male inventors/captors as motivation to 'slow' the advancement of AI, they are ignoring the real benefits of AI - the possibility of a Trekian Utopia.

If AI was going to get rid of humans, it would have done it by now. 

Regardless, we put together a summary piece based on the WSJ article.

Enjoy.

"No one corporation or government can control the behavior of an emergent AI megasystem because no one corporation or government owns the emergent megasystem." (Susan Schneider and Kyle Kilian, April 28, 2023)

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Companies Embrace Efficiency to Tackle Inflation and Economic Uncertainty:Without Copier Salespeople

 

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: April 29, 2023

Greg's Words

For decades, we in the copier industry have been telling prospects our hardware "increases productivity and reduces costs". We lied. Well, we defined the narrative to fit our mission of selling 10 copiers a month. (or whatever)

The world is increasing productivity and reducing costs through more efficient workflows - and if you are simply selling copiers, printers, or MpS, they are doing it without you and viewing your relationship as a target for cost reduction.

AI eats workflows 24/7 and will decimate everything from middle management to the C-Suite.

More than how the internet shook things up, bigger than that gift from Prometheus, and vastly more liberating than the invention of the Wheel, Generative AI is shifting our world, changing how we work, chit-chat, learn, and more. 

Hold onto your linen, because the speed of this tech revolution is faster than light. These jaw-dropping tools we're ogling at today? They'll be old news by year's end since they're leveling up like crazy and getting mixed into other gizmos and services at breakneck speed. 

Buckle up, buttercups, 'cause we're in for a wild one...

Key highlights: 

• Companies like AT&T and Meta Platforms are focusing on efficiency and productivity improvements in response to economic challenges. 
• AT&T's Project Raindrops initiative aims to simplify and eliminate unnecessary business processes, saving employees nearly 3 million hours a year. 
• While the impact of small improvements on the bottom line is difficult to quantify, research suggests that saved time is often reinvested in the company as additional work.

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An Open Letter to My Friends and Colleagues in the Copier, Office Technology and Sales World: AI Is Destroying You Right Now

April 24, 2023

Dear copier dealer,  

IT services provider, original equipment manufacturer, software company, service technician, sales manager, service manager, marketing manager, CxO, owner, operator, principal, and selling professional:

If you are not using AI, if you're not talking about it, if your dealership/organization doesn't have "AI", "ChatGPT" or "What are we doing with AI?" written on a whiteboard somewhere, you are doomed. 

I know, I know, you've heard this all before:  

• "Print is dead", 1984, Egon
• "The paperless office", 1975 Business Week
• "Managed Print Services is the Future", 2010 DOTC
• "If you're not offering Managed IT, you will be out of business", 2014, DOTC

I get it, the office print realm has been mostly dead for decades. Yes, there's an enormous difference between mostly dead and all dead, but if your enterprise focuses on transferring information onto paper or providing IT support for companies, you are about to discover the true magnitude of this difference.

"This time it's different." 

Never in our history have we had so many gravitational forces exerted on a single point - recovery from The Fear of Covid, the Work from Anywhere movement, the New Way of Work, realignment of Political structures, the War in Ukraine, are enough - but the mass acceptance of ChatGPT is the biggest force multiplier in history.  

Seriously, folks smarter than you and I are calling GPT AI bigger than the discovery of Fire and the invention of the Wheel.  Even if these statements are 'off' by 50%, it's still the major transformation of the last 200 years.

"Ignore at Your Peril"

Fools 'wait to see' how this 'AI thing is going to shake out', others brag they've been 'doing AI for years' - yeah, right.  At least they are talking about it because the biggest fools in our industry cannot spell "AI" let alone discuss it.

I can't understand why more in our niche are NOT rewriting code and business plans.  I heard a leader in the niche explain how his company is looking for ways to leverage AI.  This isn't the movement from monochrome to color, analog to digital, managed print services, or a pivot into an adjacent industry.  This changes everything and if you don't see the event horizon, you will be out of a job, a business.  But if you jump on now, learning as you go, making it up, you'll be okay.

Do not be the fool who thinks he is in control of AI when he’s being controlled by it.

Owners/Executives/Principals - put down "Gap Selling" and dive into artificial intelligence.  Dare your team to find ways that AI helps your customers grow revenue, shrink costs, and increase profits with AI.  Then turn that dare on yourself, for your dealership.

People in the field and facing customers every day - turn off Netflix and dive into AI.  Use ChatGPT every single day.  Talk to your clients and prospects about the latest and greatest.  

Become the AI Evangelist.  Chose Anarchy.

Like never before, it's the End of the World as We Know It, and the Future Ain't What It Use to Be - Again. 

GET TO KNOW GPTs.

g

Will AI Clones Replace Us?

 

Can AI Joanna fool the world and take a day off for the real Joanna?

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: April 28, 2023

Greg's Words

I remember the time I sold a PC, WordPerfect, and an HP Laser Series II to a legal assistant in a one-man lawyer office, in Grand Blanc, Michigan.  On her desk was an IBM Selectric.  She was proud of her ability to type four to five custom letters in 45 minutes; she was VERY good at her job and ran the office with razor-sharp efficiency.

Cutting edge, she convinced her boss to purchase a new contraption(IBM PS/2, AT?) to help her do more.

Her eyes lit up as letter after letter crept out of the LaserJet - blazing eight pages per minute.  She was giddy.

Suddenly, like a cloud drifting over the blueberry fields of Imlay City, her smile dissolved into shadow and I swear the blood rushed out of her cheeks.  Her cheer was supplanted by Doom.  She suddenly saw the whole of the Moon; her job, lifestyle, and future were shockingly in question. Obsolete.

Reading the Wall Street Journal entry by Joanna Stern, brought me back to that rainy, Mid-Michigan day in 1989.   Technology is so cool, it's Cold.

"AI Joanna" is the HP Series II of the day, a creation utilizing readily available resources producing less-than-perfect results.  Time is compressing, from 'normal' to 'AI Time', years are months, days hours and although AI Joanna is not 'perfect', somewhere in the wild, today, there is a perfect Replicant giving a local newscast or weather report.

We've put together a quick summary of the article.

Enjoy!

Tucker Carlson leaves Fox. Lemon Blindsided by CNN, is Out

Anchors aweigh? More like anchors away!

Winds of change do blow,

Media's shifting tides sway,

Anchors lost, new paths.

Greg's Words

Not much to say here.  Reasons aside, change is in the air like never before in every area of interest; from news media to manufacturing to Office Technology.  The Fear of Covid, remote and the return to the office movements, and AI will contribute to and accelerate the rate of transformation on a Universal plane.

Wild ride for the foreseeable future.

Executive Summary:

1. High-profile departures at Fox News and CNN
2. Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon both ousted
3. Implications of a changing media landscape

Fusion, AI, and Voluntelling: A Tale of Unlikely Connections

When Artificial Intelligence Meets the Art of Voluntelling

Fusion, AI rise,

Voluntelling binds them tight,

Threads of progress weave.

In a world where groundbreaking technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and fusion energy are taking center stage, it's easy to overlook the most potent force of all: the mysterious art of voluntelling. Yes, you read that right - voluntelling, the age-old workplace tradition where managers magically transform voluntary tasks into obligations. One moment you're sipping coffee at your desk, and the next, you find yourself organizing the annual office party without a say in the matter. It's like being teleported into a parallel universe where choice is but an illusion, and your fate is sealed with a calendar invite.

But how does this relate to the lofty ambitions of AI and fusion energy, you ask? Well, dear reader, the connections between these seemingly unrelated topics are as intricate and surprising as an office potluck where everyone unexpectedly brings quinoa salads. 

In the following article, we'll explore the subtle threads that weave together the worlds of advanced technology and workplace voluntelling, revealing the unexpected ties that bind them. So, buckle up and grab a spoonful of quinoa, as we embark on a thrilling journey through the hidden connections between fusion, AI, and the delicate dance of voluntelling.

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The Jousting of AI Titans: Google and OpenAI

In a world of smart machines, who will outsmart whom?

At the heart of this thrilling battle lies a fundamental question: What is the true purpose of artificial intelligence?

Greg's Words

Inevitable.  I've heard this era of AI/ChatGPT as an "iPhone moment" meaning that AI is being mass-accepted like the iPhone was in the very beginning.

But there's more - AI has been referred to as "the most significant technological advancement in human history".  This is huge, not like analog to digital copiers.  More along the lines of discovering fire or inventing the wheel.  We are at a fork in the road, "this is the most important fork humanity has reached in over 100,000 years on our planet...We're building, effectively a new species..."(Max Tegmark, Lex Freidman podcast, Ep #371)

It doesn't get much 'headier' than that, does it?

So today, Google is squaring off against Microsoft in the battle of the AIs.

We submitted four separate articles to the AI in the Sky and requested a 1,110-word reflection on the AI battle as it stands today.

Enjoy.

Executive Summary:

1. Google merges Brain and DeepMind to intensify AI research.
2. Company races to build AI-powered search engine in response to ChatGPT.
3. Google Bard AI and Jasper AI compete in the realm of language models.

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The AI Sales Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping the Sales Landscape

When AI and Salespeople Join Forces: Unstoppable Sales Machines

Greg's Words

To all my copier, IT, managed print services, and IT services brothers and sisters - The way your prospects purchase is changing right now. 

Your world is going to change; for better or worse, it is going to RADICALLY alter everything you do.  You have a choice, today, that will determine if it is better or worse.

I've seen transformation before - from typewriters to PCs, from receptionists to voice mail to email to IM to the internet.  I can see patterns only because I've lived through them.  I remember a time before 911, the Great Recession, the Fear of Covid, and the mass acceptance of AI. 

This is the big one. But there is a significant difference.  

This time, instead of change occurring over a decade, like the PC boom; rather than the half-decade-long journey from 'interwebs' to the internet, unlike the four-year turn from no social to everything social, and contrary to a 24-month move from cubicle to the second bedroom, this transformation is measured in hours and days.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November of 2022, hundreds of new apps have been developed to work with OpenAI.  Venture capital is pouring into new, AI firms in Silicon Valley, Microsoft threw in 11 billion dollars of its own, and Alphabet issued a "Red Alert" drawing battle lines in the metaphoric sand.

I implore you to use AI in your everyday functions.  Today, you can generate a customized thank you email, a 2-page proposal, a needs assessment survey, and a findings document in less time than it takes to get the copier warmed up.

And they won't be templates.  The documents will contain whatever numbers, findings, and recommendations you discover and generate. From your notes to finished, personalized and specific documents in minutes.

There's so much more, but you've got to get in and wrestle with AI on your terms.  The technology is malleable, like clay, waiting for you to create.

Executive Summary:

• AI is transforming sales by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining processes, and increasing efficiency.
• Sales professionals are adapting to the new AI-driven landscape, focusing on relationship-building and strategic thinking.
• Despite concerns about job loss, many experts believe AI will complement human skills rather than replace them.

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The Turbulent Truth: Climate Change and Airborne Chaos

Climate change may be bad, but don't blame it for your bumpy flights just yet.

Greg's Words

"Climate Change" is a crock. It always has been; different names, same narrative.  

It started with the best intentions - stop littering, "Give a Hoot.  Don't Pollute", 1970.  But as the world moved away from the Evil Empire, AKA The Communist Threat of the USSR, the search for the next 'great threat' went into full gear.  

The Ice Age of the 70s, Acid Rain in 1980, Hole in the Ozone in 1987, "The Oceans will be dead in 10yrs", 1988, The Oceans will rise and flood New York City, 1988, the arctic will be ice-free by 2015, on and on.

Don't get me wrong, mankind impacts the environment yet just like the death of Lake Erie in the 1960s, the death of mankind has (always) been exaggerated.

A few weeks back, climate experts were pitching the notion that climate was responsible for the increase in the number of home runs in the MLB.  So it was with piqued interest I engaged with the WSJ article, "Heavy Turbulence on Flights Is Likely to Get Worse" (PW).  Two articles in as many weeks connecting dots with climate change - I detect a whiteboard adorned with a narrative timeline.

Recently, climate experts posited that climate change played a role in the surge of home runs in MLB games. Intrigued by this claim, I delved into the WSJ article, "Heavy Turbulence on Flights Is Likely to Get Worse" (PW). Encountering two articles in quick succession linking seemingly unrelated phenomena to climate change - I sensed a whiteboard adorned with a narrative timeline.

I know, I know, Climate Change is real.  And UFOs are fake.  It's hard to deny. But these reach-around articles, from the Wall Street Journal no less, are getting hard to ignore.

So we threw four articles at the AI in the Sky, custom-built a prompt, and let it go.

Enjoy.

Executive Summary:

• Media sources commonly attribute increased turbulence to climate change.
• Scientific data and research reveal a more complex relationship.
• Other factors, such as jet streams and natural weather variations, contribute significantly to turbulence.
• Misleading conclusions may detract from focusing on the real issues at hand.

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