A Prime Thanksgiving

Last weekend marked the celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada, a holiday we still celebrate even though we are in the UK. It is after all a great excuse to get people together.

So it was the normal plan: roast turkey, sweet potato mash, and course the classic, pumpkin pie. What could go wrong?

Well, having your oven element fail 36 hours before the turkey needed to go in was not the best of timing, especially when you have lots of people coming around for food and no plan B, is not ideal for sure.

With slim chances of getting someone to help fix it… I did what everyone does these days… turned to YouTube for help.

YouTube really has some amazing content… I have previously used it to fix double glazing, repair the vacuum – twice, and even save the dishwasher. It is amazing what is available. Not just how to guides, but detailed step-by-step demonstrations, even for particular models.

And, what’s more, these videos also garner significant views – even my own rather feeble attempt of ‘how to use a washing machine‘, basically involving me shoving some cloths in on a fast wash, has over 115,000 views!

All this yet I my more carefully curated content never really seems to get above 1,000 on YouTube… what gives?

It makes you think… does the curating and polishing of output really matter, or is content king…. do we really understand what audiences want to watch? Maybe it is all too easy to get entrenched in our own (corporate) narratives that we all too easily can miss aligning with our customer’s genuine needs.

Quality work is however a wonderful thing and it undoubtedly has value. At the right price for me it helps me feel like you have got value for money.

However is my YouTube experience telling me that I can be more discretionary around where and when I invest in that extra quality touch… sometimes it matters and clearly sometimes it does not.

A recent foray into the world of TikTok has opened this world further. The TikTok algorithm it relentless, it seems… fast and effective, tempting me with a cascade of intriguing, if not always useful, content. It was so addictive in fact I had to put screen time on my phone, just to control my own usage!

Yet sometimes the predictive nature of recommended videos seemed so accurate I wondered if it understands users more profoundly and at a deeper life than they understand themselves… and maybe by watching these recommendations carefully we can will it give unique insights, or perhaps warnings, about what my true future interests could be?

Proximity also appears to play a role. I seem to have also been presented content related to people I’ve recently met too. I seem to get completely random “how to save money on toilet paper” appearing in my feed, but I can be reassured that they are seeing my “ingrowing toenail surgery” videos – a theme I cannot seem to get the algorithm to shake.

Again by actively listening and observing, can we glean insights that enable us to better align our offerings with our contacts and customers’ intrinsic interests? Maybe and it is something worth talking about over dinner… if you have an oven!

Fortunately, with YouTube and coupled with prime delivery, I was able to replace the element and save the day. It was another reason to be thankful.

Hopefully, this weekend is a little quieter. Have a good one everyone.

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The Unseen Treadmill

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.

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Not Breaking the Bank

Conference season is well and truly upon us now… Last week, I found myself down at the FourNet event at Mansion House in London, talking about all things data and security. It was quite the venue and an interesting day too.

Unique Insights on Social Engineering

The keynote speaker, Jenny Radcliffe from Human Factor Security, had some really interesting insights – social engineering and physical security in the context of data.

I must admit, listening to her speak seemed to induce a collective minor panic attack about social media and LinkedIn profiles across the room. It turns out that even the most well-intentioned acts can leave us exposed if we’re not careful, and we are all targets no matter where we reside in a company. A few photos here, a comment there, and before we know it, a detailed profile on all our lives, habits, and networks can be stitched together.

It was a sobering reminder of how readily we give away private information without a second thought… I mean we even have to be careful holding doors open for people… so no being polite either – can also be a risk used to gain access!

It was all a stark reminder of the human element in security. It’s not just about firewalls and encryption; it’s about understanding human behaviour and how easily we can become targets.

Some of the examples were eye-opening and a reminder for us all to be more vigilant about the information we share, both online and offline.

Trends in IT Investment

Bryan Glick from Computer Weekly also gave his yearly round-up of IT investment across the UK and Europe.

No surprises that IT investment continues. Although what was interesting was that, outside of known areas such as AI etc., there is also significant investment in HR systems it seems.

For all the talk of returning to the office, there is a significant focus ensuring good people management, and managing people remotely too… “Follow the money” is the adage that came to mind here… I am not so sure hybrid working will quickly go away now, despite the beating drums in the media.

A Glimpse into the Future

These events are always a melting pot of ideas, insights, and reflections on the current state of the industry, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

As we delve deeper into the autumn, it’s fascinating to see these emerging trends and innovative solutions.

So, more insights expected this week, and at some point, I hope, it will calm down. In the meantime have a good week everyone.

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