Asia's Opportunity for Generative AI

Expected, especially with regard to delivering multi lingual Generative results. 

ACM NEWS

Asia's Opportunity for Generative AI

By MIT Technology Review, June 16, 2023

The skyline of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, with a view of Mt. Fuji.

The key promise of generative AI is to streamline virtually any routine language- or process-driven task, supporting the capabilities of humans while freeing up more creative and productive uses of time.

Credit: Morio/Wikimedia Commons

Suddenly, everybody is talking about generative artificial intelligence (AI). (Disclaimer: this article is written by a human.) The idea of software that generates dynamic, customized content is exciting. While chatbots have existed for years, a rapidly expanding suite of generative AI-based image, video, and text generators such as DALL-E 2, Fotor, Runway, AlphaCode, and ChatGPT (just to name a few) have the potential to democratize AI and put it into the hands of every person and every organization. Integrating these into mainstream software products in the form of "co-pilots" to assist in everyday tasks hold even more promise.

Generative AI offers particularly strong potential as an economic catalyst across Asia, building on advanced levels of digital adoption. Already, India and China are global centers of tech talent. Japan, Korea, and Singapore lead in smart cities and robotics, while a vibrant and growing startup ecosystem flourishes in Beijing, Jakarta, Bangkok, and beyond. All this provides a foundation for the region's developers to create the next wave of locally relevant solutions.

Implemented responsibly, generative AI stands to create a ripple effect—one that transforms industries, fosters productivity and innovation, and improves billions of lives. So, as the technology reaches an inflection point, what are some of its main uses and early success stories in Asia? And how should the region's organizations prepare to innovate?

From MIT Technology Review

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College is Remade as Tech Majors Surge, Humanities Dwindle

Not Unexpected with all the excitement.Have seen several interest queries.

College is Remade as Tech Majors Surge, Humanities Dwindle

The Washington Post

Nick Anderson,   May 20, 2023

Higher education institutions are seeing rising enrollment in computer science at the same time interest in humanities is declining. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center estimated U.S. students pursuing four-year degrees in computer and information sciences and related fields climbed 34% from 2017 to about 573,000 to 2022, while the number of English majors dived 23% to about 113,000, and history majors fell 12% to roughly 77,000, over the same period. Many colleges are looking to establish a balance to accommodate increased demand for technology credentials while preserving the humanities. One solution being pursued at the University of Maryland is to institute blended majors like "immersive media design," while another is to persuade students from other fields to take multiple majors. ... ' 

CES 2023 Follow

 This years CES: 

CES 2023 IS THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

CES® is the most influential tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators.

This is where the world's biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, CES features every aspect of the tech sector.  ... ' 

Have attended a number of these, will selectively follow and report on things of interest.  interesting that John Deere has Keynoted.    Engadget does a good preview.

KEYNOTE   CTA State of the Industry and John Deere Keynote

Thursday, January 5, 8:30 AM

Venetian Palazzo Ballroom  ... '

Morning Coffee Tech

An agriculture rea I worked in, some details here, will dig somewhat deeper.

Morning Coffee Tech  By Luana Ferreira in the BBC   Business reporter, Brazil

For an estimated one billion people around the world drinking coffee is a daily regime.

Yet what many coffee lovers might not know is that they are often drinking a brew made, at least in part, from Brazilian beans.

"Brazilian beans have popular characteristics, and are known for their body and sweetness," says Christiano Borges, boss of the country's largest grower, Ipanema Coffees.

"Therefore, many coffee blends in the world use our coffee as a base."

Brazil is far and away the world's largest grower of coffee beans. It accounts for more than one third of all global supplies, or 37% in 2020, to be exact. In second place is Vietnam with 17% of supplies.

Some 70% of Brazil's coffee plants are the highly-priced arabica species, used in fresh coffee. The remaining 30% are robusta, which is used primarily for instant coffee.

Brazil's largest coffee plantations stretch for miles on end

The problem for Brazil, and world coffee supplies in general, is that last year the country's annual crop plummeted by almost a quarter due to a drought across its main coffee growing region, which centres on the south-eastern states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná., The knock-on affect has been a global reduction in coffee beans supplies, and a subsequent doubling in wholesale prices since this time last year.

To try to alleviate any future falls in production, Brazil's largest coffee producers are increasingly turning towards technology to help them successfully grow and process the best possible crop, both in terms of size and quality., One such firm, Okuyama, says it is now investing at least 10% of its revenues in technology. Based in Minas Gerais, it has coffee plantations covering 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres).

Its staff use a computer app called Cropwise Protector, which is made by Swiss-Chinese agricultural tech firm, Syngenta., Linked to ground sensors and satellite imagery, the tool gives the farm workers a visual analysis of the farm, or plantation, on a tablet device or laptop.

They can then quickly apply such things as drip-irrigation, or pest-control, to a very specific area that might need it, rather than a whole field or the entire farm.   ... ' 

Survey: Retail Needs more Tech

Survey is interesting, need more detail.  Surveys Linked  through to get specifics  

Big retailers say they need more tech to deliver better customer experiences  by Matthew Stern in Retailwire

Technology is everywhere in retail today, but some big retailers say there is not enough, according to a new survey.

Many “big retailers,” defined as those with 50 locations or more and $1 billion in revenue, are calling for more digital transformation, with about half saying that they have not gone far enough, according to a new PYMNTS study titled “Big Retail’s Innovation Mandate: Convenience and Personalization.”

Fifty-three percent of general retailers and 54 percent of retail pharmacies reported believing that their digital tools allow them to provide the customer experience they need. The number dropped to 50 percent in the grocery channel.

Only 17 percent of retailers using the fewest digital tools (three or less) were happy with the customer experience they provide.

American retailers are using more digital tools than their UK counterparts (5.3 digital tools on average to 4.7 digital tools, respectively) and have a higher rate of satisfaction with their impact on the customer experience (56 percent to 43 percent, respectively).

While retailers were experimenting with technologies like in-store augmented reality games in the years leading up to the pandemic, March of 2020 saw omnichannel-enabling technologies taking center stage. A record number of consumers began utilizing online ordering and curbside pickup to purchase groceries due to the potential danger of in-store shopping.

Although an inflationary economy has caused shoppers to cut back on spending, a study reported in The Washington Post said that 33 percent of customers under the age of 50 who began using curbside pickup due to the pandemic see it as a habit that will continue.

On the other hand, despite big retailers calling for more technology, tech spend has actually dropped off significantly in retail according to CBInsights’ State of Retail Tech Q2’22 report. After a record-breaking 2021, retail spend on technology has experienced an ongoing decline, dropping 43 percent in Q2 of this year. Merger and acquisition activity in the retail tech space likewise declined, falling from a peak of 207 deals in Q4 2021 to only 160 deals in Q2 2022.

Half of ‘Big Retail’ Thinks Consumer Digital Experience Could Be Better – PYMNTS

State of Retail Tech Q2’22 Report – CBInsights

Curbside pickup is here to stay, and retailers are going all-in – Washington Post

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you believe big retailers are still lagging in their implementation of technology? What common improvements do retailers still need to make technologically to meet the expectations of today’s shoppers?  ... '

AI Shipping and Technology issues

Emphasizing shipping issues. 

The Download: AI privacy risks, and cleaning up shipping  in TechnologyReview

Plus: Pakistan's devastating floods are displacing millions of people,   By Rhiannon Williams

August 31, 2022    Click through for details.  

What does GPT-3 “know” about me?

One of the biggest stories in tech this year has been the rise of large language models (LLMs). These are AI models that produce text a human might have written—sometimes so convincingly they have tricked people into thinking they are sentient.

These models’ power comes from troves of publicly available human-created text that has been hoovered from the internet. If you’ve posted anything even remotely personal in English on the internet, chances are your data might be part of some of the world’s most popular LLMs. 

My colleague Melissa Heikkilä, our AI reporter, recently started to wonder what data these models might have on her—and how it could be misused. A bruising experience a decade ago left her paranoid about sharing personal details online, so she put OpenAI’s GPT-3 to the test to see what it “knows” about her. Read about what she found.

How ammonia could help clean up global shipping

The news: Foul-smelling ammonia might seem like an unlikely fuel to help cut greenhouse-gas emissions. But it could also play a key role in decarbonizing global shipping, providing an efficient way to store the energy needed to power large ships on long journeys.

What’s happening: The American Bureau of Shipping recently granted early-stage approval for some ammonia-powered ships and fueling infrastructure, meaning such ships could hit the seas within the next few years. While the fuel would require new engines and fueling systems, swapping it in for fossil fuels that ships burn today could help make a significant dent in global carbon emissions.

What’s next: Some companies are looking even further into the future, with New York–based Amogy raising nearly $50 million earlier this year to use the chemical for fuel cells that promise even greater emissions cuts. If early tests for ammonia work out, these new technologies could help the shipping industry to significantly reduce its emissions. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Pakistan is reeling from its devastating flooding

Poor policy making, mixed with a climate change-driven monsoon, has displaced millions of people and destroyed homes, food and livelihoods. (Vox) 

+ These images highlight the extent of the destruction. (The Guardian)

+ Residents are trying to salvage their belongsides from the waters. (BBC)

2 California has passed new online child safety rules 

The legislation will force websites and apps to add protective measures for under-18s. (NYT $)

+ The state also wants to punish doctors who spread health misinformation. (NYT $) 

3 NASA will try to launch its Artemis rocket again on Saturday

An inaccurate sensor reading is believed to have caused the botched lift-off on Monday. (BBC)

4 Elon Musk has found a new tactic to try to wriggle out of buying Twitter

He’s using the recent whistleblower allegations. (FT $)

+ What you need to know about the upcoming legal fight. (WSJ $)

+ Twitter is failing to adequately tackle self-harming content. (Ars Technica)

5 Deepfakes are infiltrating the mainstream

The technology is improving by the day, and we should be worried. (WP $)

+ A horrifying new AI app swaps women into porn videos with a click. (MIT Technology Review)

Disruption Examined

Via Irving Wladawsky-Berger

A collection of his observations, news and resources on the changing nature of innovation, technology, leadership, and other subjects.... 

Disruptive Forces Necessitate Bold Decisions

In January of 2021 I attended Predictions 21, an online event organized by Forrester Research.  “Faced with the pandemic, firms did things that once seemed impossible - sometimes overnight,” said Forrester last year, adding that “2021 will be the year that every company - not just the 15% of firms that were already digitally savvy - doubles down on technology-fueled experiences, operations, products, and ecosystems.”

Earlier this year I attended Predictions 22, and was particularly curious to see how things had changed in the intervening year. “Disruptive Forces Necessitate Bold Decisions,” was the overriding message in this year’s event guide.  “The old ways of working no longer work. The future is up for grabs. Leading firms will use the crucibles of 2020 and 2021 to forge a path to an agile, creative, and resilient tomorrow.”

Let me summarize some of Forrester’s key predictions in three areas: technology, customer experience, and industry trends.  ... ' 

ZDNet Presents Best Tech Podcasts

Good group of tech podcasts, will be taking a look. 

Best tech podcasts: Listen and learn

Informative and fun, tech podcasts deliver news and insights about the diverse and ever-changing world of technology to your ears on your terms.

Written by Melissa Sartore, Contributor  in ZDnet  on April 25, 2022 | Topic: Computers & Tech

No matter your interest or level of experience, and whether you prefer your hosts serious, silly, or somewhere in between, there's a tech podcast out there for you. 

Our favorite tech podcasts offer a little bit of everything. Presented in alphabetical order, take a look at the best tech podcasts out there and where you can find them.

1. Accidental Tech Podcast

Apple with some extra features 

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, RSS

Three self-described nerds talk about tech, Apple, programming, and related topics. The Accidental Tech Podcast incorporates information about technology and current events alike. Informal and likable, hosts Marco Arment, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa give updates about Apple and Apple products from a fresh and honest perspective. 

Fans of Apple but not fanboys, as one reviewer put it, the hosts of Accidental Tech Podcast criticize and praise features and products. They also offer reviews of Apple TV+ content. Weekly episodes typically last two hours apiece.

Start here: In Episode 476, the hosts did a dive into Mac Studio upgrades and thermals, Studio Display engineering, and the latest rumors and theories about Mac Pro.   ..... ..   "

Europe's Future Beyond Energy

For example in tech ...

McKinsey Global Institute

Securing Europe’s future beyond energy: Addressing its corporate and technology gap  May 4, 2022 | Article

By Sven Smit, Magnus Tyreman, Jan Mischke, Philipp Ernst, Matthias Evers, Eric Hazan, Jurica Novak, and Solveigh Hieronimus

Securing Europe’s future beyond energy: Addressing its corporate and technology gap

European leaders have shown great resolve in their initial response at scale and speed to the war in Ukraine. They will need to build the same momentum to face the region’s slow-motion corporate and technology crisis. An estimated €2 trillion to €4 trillion of annual value could be at stake—six times the amount needed for the net-zero transition—and with it Europe’s long-term prosperity and strategic autonomy. A program of 11 actions can turn the tide.

Europe as it is today has been forged in times of crisis. The European Union (EU) was created in response to the ravages of World War II. The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the start of a period of economic catching up by economies in Central and Eastern Europe. The 2008 financial crisis and the eurozone crisis that followed led to more financial cooperation among European countries. The COVID-19 pandemic then triggered a higher level of fiscal coordination through the Next Generation 

Most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine not only is a humanitarian catastrophe but has exposed a range of fragilities, from food security and energy to defense. The war has accentuated the reality that resilience depends on a strong economy with strategic autonomy in these critical areas that has long been taken for granted.

Technology is pivotal, too. Unless Europe catches up with other major regions on key technologies, it will be vulnerable across all sectors on growth and competitiveness—compromising the region’s relatively robust record on sustainability and inclusion—as well as security and strategic strength, hindering long-term resilience.   .... ' 

Dell makes Acquisition

I remember when we regularly bought Dell PCs,  now a change in direction with a big price tag.

From Petri KB: Dell’s $67 Billion Acquisition of EMC to be Biggest Tech Deal Ever

PC giant Dell announced this morning that it would acquire storage giant EMC in a deal valued at $67 billion. Under the terms of the deal, EMC would merge into and become part of Dell, which is privately owned. And VMware—of which EMC owns a controlling interest—will remain a separate, publicly-traded company. Dell will retain EMC’s controlling interest in VMware.  ... " 

Customer Service and Technology

You need both.   In Customerthink: 

" ... A recent article on RetailWire.com posed a question about which of two customer loyalty strategies delivered greater ROI. Is it a customer service experience, or is it technology that integrates ease, simplicity and speed into the product? My answer to this is simple: Both!

Technology is amazing. Customer service is amazing. When you marry the two of them, you can have a winning combination. But, consider this: A great technological system can’t replace good old fashioned customer service. And in most industries using technology to enhance the customer’s experience shouldn’t be overlooked. ... " 

Similarity to expertise delivery.  So if I had an good virtual advisor that could deliver service well, that would provide the same value?   That is technology and service.