It is an age-old icebreaker question, one that is safe to discuss (unlike sport and certainly politics) and almost as classic as discussing the weather: ‘Are you a dog person or a cat person?’

Most people seem to identify with one or the other, and definitively too. ‘I’m totally a dog person; I can’t stand cats,’ or just simply, ‘I’m a cat person,’ as they snootily look down on all dog people as somewhat inferior.

Can this seemingly innocent question reveal insights into our personalities? Are our preferences for dogs or cats reflective of our inner selves?… and are dog people and cat people even different anyway?

Raining Cats and Dogs

Let’s consider dogs… they are the perpetual optimists of the animal kingdom. Often a bundle of joy, always ready for action, pleased to see you, and displaying what is an infectious zest for life. Sure, they may have the emotional range of a teaspoon and not be the ‘sharpest tool in the shed,’ but what does it matter when you’ve got a ball, all the food you can eat, and the prospect of a biscuit every time the human has a cup of tea? Dogs, it seems, live in the moment and are eminently likeable as a result.

Now let’s take a look at cats… in the world of pets, they are its philosophers and politicians, it seems. Often aloof, seemingly perpetually preoccupied with thoughts of their next meal, and showing affection on their own terms (or to get something in return). Any demand to know your whereabouts is not out of concern, of course, but because they need something from you, like opening the door for them or making them a meal. As they say, ‘dogs have owners, and cats have staff’.

Yet, while dogs are always friendly and welcoming, dog people really dislike cats… however, self-proclaimed cat people, whose pets wouldn’t cross the road to say hello, rarely seem to express disdain for dogs. Why is this?

Are cat people inherently kinder, or do dog folks harbour some deep-seated resentment and animosity towards cats?… Is Clifford the Big Red Dog a source of childhood trauma, or is it envy in later life towards their carefree, cat-loving friends, going away at the weekends… or maybe just the sheer exhaustion from those rainy, 4 AM dog walks? Who knows!

Dogs vs Cats vs Humans

Taking a step back, we humans do seem to almost universally admire dog-like qualities – optimism, loyalty, and supportiveness. They are behaviours we value, cherish, and like to have around us, and seek in others, including at work.

Yet, in the hustle and bustle of modern life, what are the behaviours we tend to incentivise and observe in success? It can have a distinctly feline flavour. Outwardly friendly, with a focused (underlying) agenda – concentrating on our needs, desires, and ambitions first rather than those of the pack. Social, yes, but on our terms, much like our furry, whiskered friends.

Throw me a bone here

Now we may all identify as either a dog person or a cat person, but in reality, we are all the same… human… And as humans, it does seem we are trending to behave increasingly more like cats than we like to admit while all the time aspiring to be more like dogs. There is some contradiction or dissonance here it feels.

So this is my manifesto of the week (and next)… to try to emulate a little more ‘dog-like’ qualities… with friends, family, and colleagues. Hopefully, it can generate a little more goodwill, optimism, and trust all around… and who knows, I may get an extra couple of biscuits.

Have a good rest of the week and weekend, everyone

The weekend stretched out before me as I sat there, my laptop humming softly, wearing comfy slippers, in my pajamas, and cradling a cup of coffee, pondering… I heard that I could install large language models on my PC at home. How easy could that be?

I mean Generative Predictive Text models all running smoothly without an internet connection, sitting on my hard disk… it was mighty tempting and as promised, surprisingly easy to do.

And it was not just one model, but many… Wizard, Llama, Hermes, Orca, Groovy, Snoozy… all starting to sound like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… all we needed was a Doc.

No Doc, although, there was a model called Samantha… reportedly built for human interaction, with “training in philosophy, psychology, and personal relationships”. Now ‘she’ did do a passable impression of a therapist… and indeed, after 30 minutes ‘in the chair,’ I did feel better about myself (being asked questions as a customer with vulnerabilities), although admittedly that might have been the coffee kicking in.

My conclusion was that for all the talk of restricting AI and technology… the cat is out of the bag, and undoubtedly, there is no way of putting it back in… it won’t be long before it’s on our phones and in our pockets.

The AI Epoch: Before 2023 and After 2023

This entire field of artificial intelligence has developed at a staggering pace. In preparation for the Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank and events in November/December, I have been reviewing how the headlines have changed over the last year.

There seems to be an increasingly evident divide – before and after ChatGPT. Last year, we hardly heard much about AI… I mean, maybe for those of us in the know… but more niche… But now we have, AI assistants on Snapchat, DJs on Spotify, and my own personal language tutor… it won’t be long before we have 24/7 customer assistance and support. It is fascinating and somewhat unsettling.

The Accelerated Pace of Change

Yet, this isn’t just about the technological change; it’s also about the speed at which it’s all happening.

Within a lifetime, our lifetime, we can remember a slower pace of life… travelling to a meeting, needing to go to the bank, or reading the paper. (And I’m not even going to mention carbon copy memos or Lotus 123 for fear of appearing truly ancient.)

Looking back further, humans used to get up at dawn and travel by foot… compared to that, our world is really operating at breakneck speed…

Stress and Anxiety in the Fast Lane

Now, at this point let’s be honest; we all love a bit of speed; it’s exhilarating, and with a little adrenaline, it gets the blood pumping – thinking about taking off in an airplane, for example.

Yet too much, uncontrolled, it can be perilous…. and once it’s all over, you feel utterly drained.

So in this perpetual chase, a relentless pursuit and adoption of the next thing, are we moving too fast for our biology?

Is this, in part, contributing to our higher levels of stress and anxiety? (Especially when you consider that much of the world just had a nearly two-year slowdown)

It can all feel like an invisible treadmill. Falling even slightly behind can make you lose your sense of mastery, triggering the hide, flight or fight response… Is this acceleration, and the lack of time, at the core of our collective anxiety and stress? Maybe

AI Can Help – But Only if We Allow It

Yet as much we may be reacting to this speed of change, how we deal with it also matters greatly.

And as with all technological advances, throughout history, we essentially have two choices (with the third, smash the technology and go back to living in the past ruled out for needing to finish my Netflix series reasons!).. so

• Do we harness the new technology, use it to simplify our lives, and focus on what we enjoy and excel at… or
• Harness the new technology to churn out more of the same at a higher speed.

… quality or quantity (just like data and information!)

Sadly, I fear history points us, like lemmings to a cliff, in relentless competition to fill our day with more work, more output, and more stuff.

However, the wise among us will be building better work, better output, and better stuff… and these will be the people shaping the future, who can take the time for coffee and maybe even a leisurely walk to work.

AI can help, but only if we make the right choices on how this is used… Have a fantastic week, everyone.