Welcome to Digitally Literate, issue #384. Your go-to source for insightful content on education, technology, and the digital landscape.
I shared the following this week:
- In the era of rapidly advancing technology, computers have become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we work, communicate, and solve problems. However, there are certain aspects of life where humans still hold a distinct advantage over computers. What are the unique strengths of human abilities that computers are yet to replicate? Explore
Everything Looks the Same
Google’s dominance of the search market has led to the internet reshaping itself around the search engine. The relentless optimization of pages, words, paragraphs, photos, and hundreds of other variables has led to a wasteland of content that is competing for increasingly dwindling Google search real estate. Explore.
The Rabbit R1 has been blowing up my feed this week and prepping me to shell out $199 for yet another device. The Rabbit R1 pocket companion, an AI-powered device that aims to create a computer that can be interacted with through voice commands. The R1 is built on Rabbit’s large action model, enabling users to interact with various applications and services.
What I really want is my next phone/device to be designed by teenage engineering (the electronics design and manufacturing firm that build the R1), as well as smaller in size and minimal (grayscale screen).
Future of Work
A recent PWC report, Uniting a Divided Workforce, explores three significant gaps between leaders and employees in three key areas: upskilling, artificial intelligence (AI), and culture. Employees may not understand the need for training and upskilling if they don’t see the connection to their own skills and job changes. Additionally, employees have mixed views on AI, making it challenging for leaders to navigate.
There are real fears that workers will lose jobs to technology, especially artificial intelligence, in the coming years. But “new collar” optimists frame things in a more positive light. “New collar” jobs are those that require advanced skills but not necessarily advanced degrees, especially in emerging high-tech fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electric vehicles and robotics.” Read more.
Do You Know Everything?
Can you trust your memory? Research from André Fenton and Todd Sacktor suggests that memories are not exact reproductions of experiences but rather reconstructions based on the stories that make sense to our minds. So how do we find truth and honesty in a world where we all interpret events differently? Fenton advises we all accept our shortcomings and keep an open mind. Read more.
Ambiguity plays a crucial role in understanding how change happens and can be strategically used in various contexts. There are different types of ambiguity, ranging from generative ambiguity that sparks new ideas to productive ambiguity that leads to positive outcomes. Understanding and utilizing these types of ambiguity can be beneficial in the workplace. Doug Belshaw indicates that by navigating the continuum of ambiguity with intention and understanding, environments that foster innovation, creativity, and strategic thinking can be created. Explore.
Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa has introduced a new feature that claims to resurrect the voices of dead relatives. This feature raises concerns about the manipulation of data and privacy, as Amazon plans to capitalize on private conversations to train its artificial intelligence models. The promise of intergenerational communication with the deceased is a selling point for smart devices, but it also raises ethical questions about the mass manipulation of a grieving public and the exploitation of personal data. Read more
Be Intellectually Humble
Four main aspects of intellectual humility include being:
- Open-minded, avoiding dogmatism and being willing to revise your beliefs.
- Curious, seeking new ideas, ways to expand and grow, and changing your mind to align with strong evidence.
- Realistic, owning and admitting your flaws and limitations, seeing the world as it is rather than as you wish it to be.
- Teachable, responding nondefensively and changing your behavior to align with new knowledge.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.”
Rick Warren
Thank you for being a part of Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Reach out at hello@digitallyliterate.net or connect on social media.
Cover Photo CC BY using Playground AI