In this Hyperautomation interview, Acceleration Economy analyst Toni Witt speaks with David Vivancos, author, AI executive advisor, and deep learning lead at MindBigData, a dataset made up of EEG brain signals. The two discuss Vivancos’ work in the field of AI and ML, the future of AI, and the difference between digitization and automation.
Highlights
00:32 — In 2020, Vivancos published the book “Automate or Be Automated,” which focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) is driving unemployment and changing the job market. Toni argues that machine learning (ML) tends to give rise to more jobs than it takes away. He references how the inception of the printing press gave rise to mass media production. He asks Vivancos his thoughts on the dynamic, to which he replied that he feels that we will all be jobless someday.
01:18 — Vivancos notes that the main mistake people make is comparing the rise of AI and ML to previous industrial revolutions since society is far beyond the place it had been during previous revolutions. He has spent the last several years investigating human-level AI and explains that at some point in time, everything we do will be done by a machine. In order for AI to take over the entire job force, there will need to be a change in the structure of society.
02:53 — Vivancos has emphasized the difference between digitization and automation — something many business leaders are confused about. Toni asks Vivancos to highlight the difference between the two concepts and explain why automation should be an important focus for business leaders today.
03:15 — Digitization is a “trendy word,” suggests Vivancos, and something the world has been doing for the last 30 years. Where companies struggle is with “datafication and getting the data right,” because, without data, there is no AI. In order to successfully automate, companies need to capture data in a more effective way to create algorithms from which AI and ML can learn.
03:65 — After data is collected, the next step for businesses is to implement algorithms to help process the data, says Vivancos.
04:45 — Toni discusses Open AI’s ChatGPT — an open-source chat interface that uses the GPT natural language processing model to answer questions and write text in a convincingly-human way. He notes this innovation is taking the world by storm and asks Vivancos to describe the workflows that are being affected by this tool.
05:43 — Vivancos explains how this technology represents the “new, golden age of AI.” He says ChatGPT is a game-changer in terms of how it relates to ML. As a result of this innovation, many markets will change, including education, sales, marketing, and advertising. He notes that ChatGPT is just one tool and there will be many more similar tools to follow — and these include more data.
09:43 — Vivancos recently delivered a keynote that was 100-percent AI-generated from algorithms he had set-up and trained. Vivancos works to “automate himself” as well as the work he does as a data scientist. He says he is always working to make the impossible possible.
13:03 — What are some of the pitfalls of AI and automation? What steps should society take to ensure they proceed through these technologies successfully? A key challenge is ensuring these tools are created for everyone, not just for an elite or wealthy group of people. Vivancos suggests that a pitfall of these tools is their stability, and that open initiatives are promising because users can tap into the data that the technology has been trained with.
15:47 — Toni notes the importance of accessibility in AI and ML, which creates new modes of utilizing these technologies.
16:36 — Vivancos predicts that 2023 will be fantastic in the sense that there will be many people pushing the limits of these technologies, but warns that it must be thoroughly thought out.
17:53 — Where does Vivancos anticipate the future direction of AI going? He predicts that “these tools we create are going to be the next us.” He suggests that the future of AI should bridge the gap between humans, machines, and technology.
21:36 — To learn more about or connect with Vivancos, reach out via LinkedIn.
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