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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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

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

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 Unintended Consequences of Remote Work: A Tectonic Shift in Office Technology and Urban Landscapes

Remote working - the love child of technological advancements and pajamas.

Greg's Words

The times are crazy and there seem to be no boundaries; we've left hyperbole in the rearview.  I've seen a few revolutions in my time, so there are familiar threads, flavors, and hints but nothing has been so accelerated and universally impactful as the current run on artificial intelligence.  AI has been brought down, landing squarely on our frontal lobes.

Like never before in time.  The Wheel. The Discovery of Fire.  The first tool.

People smarter than me are using the same words and phrases I am - this is the Big One.

Of course, all is not roses and bubble gum on the road to digital enlightenment.  There are risks; Mary Shelly's Modern Prometheus and the story of Colossus come to mind.  Some see AI as destroying mankind, ridding the planet of its cancerous inhabitants. My thoughts on this?  If were to happen, it would have by now.

But how is The Convergence going to help you sell more widgets?

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go..."

What I do know, is the fear of covid changed the way we work(and print) the way we move information, and the way we finally see management.  Management is redundant.

What I do know is that AI duplicates all our manual processes faster and better because it accumulates every iteration of a plan and all the possible impacts, predicting outcomes on what it has seen and processed. AI scares us.

What I do know is office buildings are vacant, and cities are begging if not screaming, for a return to the office, to the subway, speeding tickets, inspection fees, parking violations, taxes, 45 minutes on the road, and crime.  They blame those who work outside their reach.

What I do know is that the last 36 months have not eroded but disintegrated almost every level of trust in once-thought-of timeless establishments and structures.  UFOs are real.

Heady stuff.

We've put together a piece about all this and more.  It's dry but includes a few tidbits of knowledge.

Enjoy.

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The Remote Work Revolution: A New Frontier for B2B Office Technology

From Virtual Meetings to Virtual Reality: The Workforce Enters the Matrix

Greg's Words

The fear of Covid left offices, cubicles, and yesterday's management style in the dustpan of history, for most.

How can an office technology provider continue to work with clients and solve business problems?  In the old ways, concentrating on a piece of machinery will not sustain the business.  We've known for decades that the device is not the answer, what the device does is a component of a well-designed solution to a problem.

In the post cubicle life, we professional sales people have the opportunity to do what we always said we would, but never did.  "Help our customers solve business problems"

Harvard came out with a deep dive, albeit academic, the view is worth reviewing.

Cheers!

gw

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Printing in the Age of AI: How Managed Print Services are Being Transformed

Don't be a printer fool, embrace the AI revolution

It shouldn't be any surprise, that remote working has impacted managed print services - although anecdotal reports say volumes have approached pre-fear-of-Covid levels, how the evolution of the office transpires will impact your MPS contract volume.

The supply chain is almost back to normal, and by some estimates, 60% of businesses are returning to the office.  Again, some data suggest different numbers.  

As the 'office' goes, so does the number of devices and print/copiers produced go - this was evident before 2020.

But now Artificial Intelligence is on the scene - eliminating job functions and if you look closely, when AI is asked to solve a business problem in workflow, the answer does not include the statement, "First print a hardcopy of my recommendations and make 500 copies."  

AI maximizes processes and as you know, the slowest function in any process is the function that involves hard copy output(print/copy) or input(fax/scan).  AI eliminates slow processes and print is the slowest, least efficient.

So what?

Well, we put together a quick reseach project and engaged the great AI in the sky to help illustrate the current environment of MPS and possible influences and outcomes.

Enjoy.

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Eighty Percent of the WorkForce: Gone Because of AI

AI/LLMs: The Bringer of Fire or Modern Prometheus?

See, I told you so...

A recent study found accountants in the crosshairs when it comes to large language models (LLM) and specifically, ChatGPT.  That's not all - 8 out of 10 people in the workforce will be in the same turbulent waters.

This is bigger than DOS to Windows.  This is bigger than typewriters to PCs, bigger than analog copiers turning into digital.  This is bigger than the internet, AOL, and Google.  This is different from the time when people flocked to the big cities and skyscrapers to work nine-to-five jobs for 40 years.  The cities are emptying, workers leaving, and buildings are empty.

This is Fire and Everything is changing. Now.

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...around 80% of the US workforce could have at least 10% of their work tasks affected by the introduction of LLMs, while 19% of workers may see at least 50% of their tasks impacted. The projected effects span all wage levels, and higher-income jobs may face greater exposure to LLM capabilities and LLM-powered software. LLM-powered software will have a substantial effect on scaling the economic impacts of the underlying models.

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We are living in the greatest convergence in history as the Fear of Covid, the Illumination or Remote Work, the mass acceptance of Artificial Intelligence, and the breakneck speed of exponential development collide.

"AI can write code and spreadsheet macros!"  Who cares.  AI is going to REPLACE coding and spreadsheets.

"AI will assist in supplies management and predicting service incidents."  Who cares.  AI is REPLACING service managers and supply closets.

- oh - and OUTPUT devices.  Why do you print now?  To review, analyze and make a decision.  AI will do that.  All that.  Without printing, without you. 

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I am reminded of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," which dealt with the consequences of playing god and creating a new life without considering the ethical implications.

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Darkness Descends: AI Doom for Document Management SMEs

If "Where there is Mystery there is Margin" is your catchphrase, you deserve what's coming.

I just read a blood-curdling article that was not intended for our industry.  The story was not penned by one of our beloved industry writers or curators.  It wasn't birthed by any resident bloviator or hired shrill.

By all accounts, the tome is innocuous, if not boring.  There exists between the ink or pixels, an ominous report for those of us residing in the realm of fire and static, of paper and notions; "The End is Near."

Through the haze that is the fear of Covid, the desperation of supply chains, and the illumination of a purpose beyond the cubicle, copiers prevailed. Even with the fall of private equity, commercial real estate, and an unhealthy dose of self-loathing, dealers remained.  They stood.

That was then, this is now.

No degree of strategy, tactics, or blind luck will save us now.  Artificial intelligence will render the document's annihilation - and with it, an industry.  

The title of a recent article,

"Microsoft’s new Copilot will change Office documents forever"

should scare the shit out of every single person in the Office Technology Realm. OEMs from NJ to Japan are quaking or swimming the sweet River of Bliss.

The Event Horizon is passed, Gravity has us all now.  It's a matter of hours.

Americans Pull Back From Values That Once Defined U.S., WSJ-NORC Poll Finds

Embracing change and shedding old skin: America's journey towards a brighter future.

Three-point executive summary:

1. American values, including patriotism, religious faith, hard work, and having children, are receding in importance to Americans, as per the Wall Street Journal-NORC poll.
2. The country is divided by political parties over social trends such as racial diversity in businesses and the use of gender-neutral pronouns.
3. Only money was cited as very important by 43% of respondents in the new survey, up from 31% in 1998.

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Greg's Opinion:

 

As one of the few people who voted for Ronnie Raygun, it the results of the survey are not surprising.  

The self-loathing of a nation has been eroding foundational values since the 60s.

And that's okay.

There will be a tomorrow and America will be there, leading to way.  For all the angst, all the fabricated and false shame, we are the nation that leads - we lead in tech, we lead in societies, we lead in business and we lead in change and we are always growing.

Unfortunately, constant growth equates to continuous growing pains.

GPT summary of WSJ article, "Americans Pull Back From Values That Once Defined U.S., WSJ-NORC Poll Finds: Patriotism, religion, and hard work hold less importance"

Lightning Strikes: How AI is Revolutionizing the Future of Work

Say goodbye to the old ways and embrace the power of AI in the future of work.

Three bullet point summary:

1. AI is transforming the way we work, from cold calling to decision-making.
2. Companies that embrace AI will have a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top talent.
3. The gamer culture has skills critical for success in today's fast-paced business environment.

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One never knows when lightning strikes, or where inspiration springs and so it happened to me this morning.  Each Wednesday, I click into a web session hosted by West and Ed (Level Up)on a plethora of different subjects and guests.  This week  Bob Johanson, who just wrote his 13th book, "Office Shock" was on to talk about the great changes we've been experiencing and the changes we are and will experience.  I can't recommend this 29-minute session enough - so good to hear somebody else on the same page.

After The Fire - what people want now.

The fear of Covid initiated many different movements; social, and political, especially in redefining how we view the importance of work and what environments we work in.  Bob talked about what the new work ethic involves, from the employee's vantage:

• Purpose in work
• Flexibility in how and where you work from and for
• Gamer Culture is how we learn, communicate and grow

Here's a closer look at the three points,

The New Era of Trust: Embracing Change, AI, and Authentic Leadership

Official Government Report Claims There May Be "Alien Mothership" Inside Solar System

Bridging Trust and Tech: Laughing Our Way into the Future of Work.

This had to be written.

UFOs are real and masks work.

UFOs are real and the laptop wasn't.

UFOs are real and the press is freedom.

UFOs are real and the FBI is not politically motivated.

UFOs are real and a cubicle is the best place to be creative, instill culture, and build teams.

Yeah, right..." UFOs are real, and there is a mother ship is in our solar system, tinkering with one of our space probes." the report says.

For those of us with perspective; the luxury of time, we look at this and scratch our heads.  We grew up in a time when UFOs were weather balloons or mass hysteria and The X-Files was a science FICTION series.

But then 2020 hit.  

New York City's Decline: Work From Anywhere, Enjoy The Pot

The only green New York City needs is in its parks, not in its pipes.

Executive Brief:

• The smell of marijuana is ubiquitous in New York City, and Mayor Eric Adams' support for the burgeoning marijuana industry is a mistake, according to Jason De Sena Trennert.
• Encouraging behavior that is antithetical to family and capital formation is not the way to save cities.
• Ignoring quality-of-life issues could drive people out of the city and cause economic disaster.

"Given that New York City’s economy depends on four million commuters and remote work is increasingly feasible, ignoring quality-of-life issues could cause economic disaster by driving people out of the city. That would be unfortunate for a town that prides itself on being the center of global finance."

Look to Detroit and see your future, without the "Devil's Lettuce"

New York considers itself the center of the financial world - but in a world scrambling away from the center of everything - office center, shopping center, data center - what is left to attract people to 'Bite the Big Apple, Don't Mind the Maggots"?  Apparently, Tumble Weed.

I'm not saying that the aroma of good bud is keeping workers away from the office - I'm just observing another dimension in the work from anywhere world.  Lots of people in New York City are sampling the Emerald Triangle instead of Starbucks on their way into the cube farms of "Metropolis".

Jus sayin...

Technology and enlightenment have magnified all that is best and everything that is repugnant in business, city living, all levels of politics, and relationships.

Is the advent of more liberal laws simply one more reason to flee or is it a result of the work-from-anywhere movement and evacuated urban areas?  

New York City will always be 'something'. Just not sure what. 

How Your Personality Determines If You Can Work Remotely

Matching personality traits to hybrid work arrangements can optimize employee performance, resulting in a win-win for all involved.

Article in Psychology Today, How Your Personality Determines If You Can Work Remotely

Summary:

1. Many employees excel in hybrid or fully remote work settings, while others struggle to work effectively outside the office, even with the same home office arrangements.
2. Personality differences are an important driver of performance differences in remote work settings, frustrating managers who end up developing mistrust of employee productivity.
3. Matching hybrid work arrangements to relevant personality traits can optimize employee performance, resulting in a win-win for everyone involved.

Impressions:

The first thoughts through my mind were, "Great.  Another psyco-bable, piece from the lofty, high faluting, intelligentia.

I was mostly correct. The article is one of many attempting to explain how the corporate world continues on the status quo, central command, and control model:

1. Separate and Isolate
2. Frighten
3. Provide refuge

This article clearly falls in the "Separate and Isolate" category.  Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is through music:

"...secret destroyers hold you out to the flames..."

Enjoy this GPT-Assisted piece:

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The Singularity of Remote Work: The End Of Generation Gaps

When boomers and zoomers unite over Zoom, you know the Singularity is here.

The fear of Covid, remote work, and artificial intelligence is destroying the Generation Gap.  

We are the Last Generation.  No really, it is. Hear me out.

1. The fear of Covid affected the entire Globe, regardless of age.
2. Remote work helped us realize what's important, regardless of age.
3. ChatGPT(AI) is a linguistic program that is changing the way everything gets done, regardless of age.

I do not like defining individuals as a 'generation'.  The new work environment promotes more deliverables, and less judgment on the adherence to a process - regardless of color, age, or gender.  Interesting, right?

Amazon Implements In-Person Work Policy for Corporate Employees

New Policy Prioritizes In-Person Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend of remote work, and many companies have embraced it as a permanent option. 

However, Amazon's recent announcement that its corporate staff must come back to the office at least three days per week starting May 1 marks a significant shift in remote work policies. 

The Great Reshuffling: Remote Work's Impact on Population Migration, Local Economies, and Business Growth

It comes as no surprise to me, people, when given a choice, choose to live out of the city and work from their kitchen and or basement.

I would not be surprised to see company-owned coffee shops/meeting places pop up all over the fruited plain, closer to their remote employees.  Instead of workers coming to the office three days a week, the company comes to them, 7-5, seven days a week.  Discounts for employees, quiet rooms, and meeting places with the latest remote technology.  

Coming to a Village near you.

Live Free or Die vs. United in Diversity: The US Leads the Way in the New Way of Work

Live Free or Die vs. United in Diversity: Which One Makes It Easier to Sneak in a Mid-Day Nap?

Summary:

1. US offices are at 40-60% of pre-pandemic levels, varying by city and month, while European and Middle Eastern offices have a return-to-office rate of 70-90%, and Asia's rates range from 80-110%.
2. Living arrangements, commutes, and the labor market contribute to the difference in return-to-office habits.
3. The divergence in return-to-office habits has a direct impact on how quickly US metro areas rebound from the pandemic's economic shock.

Opinion:

The US leads the world in everything - debate me on that.  We continue to do so, regardless of how much self-loathing we put on ourselves.

The Real Science on Masks: They Make No Difference

Breaking news: masks found to be as effective as wearing a unicorn costume

Summary:

1. The most rigorous and extensive review of scientific literature, conducted by the Cochrane review, concludes that neither surgical masks nor N95 masks have been shown to make a difference in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
2. Masks may keep out some pathogens but their inner surface can also trap concentrations of pathogens that are then breathed back into the lungs, offsetting any theoretical benefits.
3. Public health officials continue to recommend or mandate masks without proper evidence of their effectiveness or any cost-benefit analysis, and masks can cause social, psychological, and medical problems.

The most rigorous and extensive review of scientific literature, conducted by the Cochrane review, concludes that neither surgical masks nor N95 masks have been shown to make a difference in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Whatever theoretical benefits there might be, in clinical trials the benefits have turned out to be either illusory or offset by negative factors. 

Oxford’s Tom Jefferson, the lead author of the Cochrane review, summed up the real science on masks: 'There is just no evidence that they make any difference. Full stop.'

Breaking: WSJ Exclusive. Covid was leaked in China

Just 24 months or so ago, this would have been banned on Twitter, and FB and been tagged with those annoying "Learn More About Covid-19..." snippets.

The media, and the liberal mass,  lambasted anyone who suggested this possibility calling those who talked about it "racists".  

Today, the Wall Street Journal report supports all those folks who asked the question.

"Where did this come from?"