The Future of Knowledge: Gatekeepers in a Post-Scarcity World

The age of knowledge scarcity is over. 

With the advent of the internet and advancements in technology, information is now readily available to anyone with an internet connection. But as the old saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility." As we navigate this new world of endless information, it's important to remember that the role of gatekeepers is not gone, it's just changed.

Three bullet guide for the future:

1. The age of knowledge scarcity is over but the role of gatekeepers is not gone, it's just changed.
2. We must adapt and find new ways to filter and curate information for a fair and unbiased system.
3. It's up to us to create a system that serves the needs of all.

Four Flavors of AI Through the Eyes of ChatGPT

"Early adoption of these innovations can drive significant competitive advantage and business value and ease problems associated with the fragility of AI models."

The ChatGPT phenom is historic for those who generate content - this is certain.  But it doesn't take too much to see the linguistics app is just the tip of the iceberg.  It's more than asking Siri for directions and receiving unsolicited weather updates from Alexa.

• Tell it what you want to do on a spreadsheet and it will write the macro.
• Tell it what you want to program for the interwebs and it will write the HTML.
• Ask it to analyze a 1000-word article about the four types of AI, summarize it into a 500-word blog, and write both a Tweet and a LinkedIn post intro and it does.

Ask it to apply the previous content and write an article on the impact of AI on the Office Technology industry - in the voice of Hemingway - and then put together an outline, and agenda, for a show, with sample questions, about How a copier salesperson can use ChatGPT to find more prospects and sell more copiers and document management software solutions?

I did and it did.

_____

"Reducing Printing Costs: How a Comprehensive Print Assessment and Implementing Cost-Saving Measures Can Save Your Business Money"

Printing costs can be a significant expense for many businesses, yet many companies are unsure of exactly how much they're spending on printing. Without proper oversight, it's easy for money to be lost on unnecessary or inefficient printing practices. One way to gain control of your printing costs is by conducting a comprehensive print assessment.

A comprehensive print assessment is an in-depth analysis of a company's printing practices, including the number of printers, the types of devices in use, the volume of printing, and the cost per page. This information can then be used to identify areas where costs can be reduced, such as by consolidating the number of printers or switching to more cost-effective devices.

Here are a few additional tips for reducing printing costs:

"Friday the 13th: The Fall of Templars and Rise of Remote Working"

Friday the 13th is a date that has long been associated with bad luck and superstition. But where did this belief originate? Some theories suggest that it is connected to the persecution of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307. 

On that day, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Templars, a medieval Christian military order, on charges of heresy and other crimes. The Templars were arrested and tortured, and many were eventually executed. 

"Just like the Knights Templar, businesses and employees are facing new challenges and obstacles as they adapt to a new way of working."

The idea of Friday the 13th being a day of bad luck may have originated from the events of that day, as the arrest and persecution of the Templars marked the end of the order and the beginning of its downfall.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Announces New Return-to-Office Policy for Corporate Employees in Seattle

Starbucks is brewing up a storm with its new return-to-office policy! 

Three-time Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is calling all corporate employees to come back to the office a minimum of three days a week to "rebuild and revive the energy" of the headquarters and regional offices. 

Starting Jan. 30, Seattle employees within commuting distance are expected to work in the company's headquarters building on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and a third day determined by teams and leaders. 

The other two days work from anywhere. So, grab your coffee and head back to the office, partners!"

AI is about the question, not the Answer

There are some in the education industry lobbying for the restriction and outright ban of AI tools in schools. Predictably, the establishment is gaslighting parents everywhere.

It won't matter.  At first, chalk tablets were lamented when paper and pencils entered the one-room schools.  They squawked when calculators hit the market and barely hung on when the world moved from longhand to QWERTY.

ChatGTP is making them lose their minds.  For now.

Connecting the Dots: How Technology is Uniting Industries and Revolutionizing Business Models

Humans tell immortal stories about figures in the sky by creating illusions by drawing imaginary lines from one point of light to another. 

Connecting the dots illuminates a pattern and tells a story. For instance, the "lights" in the nighttime sky that we see as the belt of the constellation Orion - Alnitak, a triple star system located several hundred parsecs from the Sun; Alnilam, a massive blue supergiant star some 2,000 light-years distant; and Mintaka, a multiple-star system some 1,200 light-years from the Sun - are visible throughout the world.

We are adept at making connections and telling stories - it is in our nature. At first, industries may appear unrelated and vaguely disconnected, but just like the constellations, when observed from afar and with a fanciful, imaginative eye, connections are made and great stories are revealed.

I Conducted a #ManagedPrintServices Assessment and Analysis - Then Gave it to ChatGTP

ChatGTP is a linguistics program that interrupts and responds to questions.  It's getting lots of attention on social networks.  The program either excites or intimidates, depending on perspective.

I loathe automatic proposal generators.  But this thing is incredible.

First, I asked the Super Smart Thing in the Sky:

What are the components and process of a successfully managed print services program the costs involved with implementing a program for a 400-bed hospital network?

Five Points About Artificial Intelligence You Won't Like

Inspiration: a question on Reddit,

"Why everyone keeps on saying A.I. will replace accountants it's just getting annoying now this makes me feel like I am pursuing something which would be worthless in the near future"

My response:

"Functions that require a 'process' to complete, which is every, single accounting function, will be taken over by a faster, more knowledgeable, entity. 

Functions that require a 'process' to complete, which is every, single accounting function, will be taken over by a faster, more knowledgeable, entity. 

Think of AI as the smartest, most educated employee with 500 years of experience in accounting and is updated every second with the latest GAAP, legislative, tax, and legal changes.  

How would you compete with this 'person'?  How could you?

Why The Work From Anywhere Movement Is Important & What Your Peers Are Saying.

At one time the range of ‘office technology’ consisted of expensive devices and platforms like networks, printers, copiers, filing cabinets, desktop computers, postage machines, telephones, and fax machines to name a few.

Technology evolved. Fewer company networks, smartphones in every pocket, laptops instead of desktops, faxes in the form of email attachments, and filing cabinets in the Cloud.

What remained was the physical place to meet – meeting rooms, company kitchens, watercoolers, open

and shared areas, and the essential, Executive Conference room.

Words Only Mean What We Let Them

I love words and phrases.

The power of words, separates us from lower-order species - sure dolphins communicate with sound, but can a dolphin make a good Old Fashion?  No, dolphins cannot make an old fashion, drive a car or hit goofballs on the moon.

Words mean things.

I asked the super-duper AI thing to summarize the meaning of, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." 

This is what came back: 

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a proverb that is meant to encourage resilience and to suggest that physical injuries are more significant and lasting than verbal ones. It suggests that people should not be affected by hurtful words and should instead focus on ignoring or brushing against them. The phrase is often used as a way to encourage people to not let insults or verbal abuse get to them and to instead focus on building resilience and inner strength. 

 - Not Bad for an algorithm imitating speech patterns.

2023 Predictions - "After The Fire, the Fire Still Burns"

Past and Future According to Greg Walters

Here we go...

Upon an ocean of auguries and reflections, my contrarian tendencies pull me into ignoring if not despising each "end of the year" account and "predictions for next year".  So many articles and pontifications - it's stifling.  

Who needs it? 

Well, low and behold, I've surrendered to the waves, to the Fire.  Here is my contribution to the deadwood of 2022 and the albatross of 2023.

*SPECIAL NOTE IF YOU WANT TO SKIP TO SEE YOUR FUTURE SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO "Artificial Intelligence" becomes simply "Intelligent".*