Google CEO Sundar Pichai Is Optimistic About AI's Future
Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
In a far reaching interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Google CEO says that, while acknowledging the risks associated with artificial intelligence, he has optimism that humanity can collaboratively address potential challenges and believes hat as awareness of AI's risks grows, collective efforts will emerge to mitigate them. He advocated for balancing rapid innovation with ethical considerations to ensure that technological progress benefits society as a whole. He also shared insights into emerging technologies like Google Beam and XR glasses which he says will enhance how people connect and interact (Source: YouTube)
Why this is important for your business:
Google has a massive reach into both our personal and professional lives. Besides taking a deep dive into AI, Fridman – one of my favorite podcasters – discussed the status and future of many of the business products that Google provides – from ads and search to Gmail, Sheets, Maps, Docs and Meet as well as future innovations in robotics and research. If your business uses and relies on Google applications – and most do – this is an important conversation to better understand where the company is heading so you can be prepared to leverage their new offerings.
GlassJar – a new accounting software company – has been launched by former accounting software founders to address long-standing frustrations with QuickBooks and similar legacy tools. The company aims to provide a simpler, more transparent solutions for small businesses and accountants. Key features: Streamlined user experience to reduce bookkeeping time and eliminate tedious workarounds. Fast performance without crashes or lag when handling large data sets. Flexible pricing so users only pay for what they need. GlassJar is currently in private development, with plans for a public beta later this year. The company is inviting small businesses, bookkeepers, and accountants to sign up for early access. (Source: Business Wire)
Why this is important for your business:
Taking on Intuit in the small business accounting space is really a David vs. Goliath challenge. How good does an accounting application need to be in order to get users to change from their existing software? Competition is good and I'm interested to check out what GlassJar is offering. But they've got major challenge in front of them – and an industry of conversative, non-risk taking accountants who will be a tough audience to convince.
Anthropic has launched Claude Explains – a blog primarily written by its AI model, Claude, with human oversight. The blog focuses on technical topics, showcasing Claude's ability to generate educational content. Human editors will refine and enhance Claude's drafts before publication. The blog aims to demonstrate AI-human collaboration, rather than replacing human expertise. Topics range from creative writing to data analysis and business strategy. Anthropic sees this as an example of how AI can augment human work, not replace it. 'This isn't just vanilla Claude output – the editorial process requires human expertise,' an Anthropic spokesperson said. (Source: TechCrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
We use ChatGPT to write blogs for our site but of course we don't just publish right from the chatbot. A human reviews and edits the output first. I haven't tested Claude Explains so maybe it's more accurate. I'm finding more of my clients starting to choose their AI weapons. ChatGPT remains the most popular but there are a bunch who are devoted to Claude, Grok, CoPilot, Gemini and others. I'm sure the other chatbots will soon match Claude Explains offerings in an effort not to fall behind with their followings.
Microsoft Teams is introducing a countdown timer feature to help users manage meeting time more effectively. This long-requested tool aims to improve meeting structure, presenter performance, and overall productivity. Key benefits include Structured Meetings, eliminating the need for third-party timers, allowing organizers to set a visible countdown within Teams. Better Presenter Performance to help speakers stay on track without relying on external time cues. Control & Flexibility allows organizers can pause, stop, or extend the timer as needed. Enhanced Productivity Culture encourages teams to be more mindful of time, reducing unnecessary meeting overruns. (Source: UC Today)
Why this is important for your business:
As much as we hate meetings, I'm finding that some of my corporate clients are getting good at keeping them to 30 minutes and no more. For the others that need a little more help, the tools that Teams is now offering seems very useful.
A new study finds that AI chatbots are being adopted at an unprecedented rate, but their impact on workplace productivity remains modest. According to the study, AI chatbots save users only about 3 percent of work hours on average. Productivity gains rarely translate into higher wages, with only a 3-7 percent improvement in pay. Despite rapid adoption, AI chatbots have had no significant impact on earnings or recorded work hours. The report however, noted that past studies showed greater productivity gains – exceeding 15 percent. The study suggests that while AI chatbots help streamline tasks, their broader economic impact is still unclear. (Source: Computerworld)
Why this is important for your business:
There is no question that AI chatbots can someday significantly increase productivity. Used correctly they can generate blogs (see above), create and review contracts, write policies and perform searches much faster than the typical Google search because they summarize the results quicker. So what's the holdup? Hallucinations. No one I know trusts their output, so human oversight, verification and correction is always required. So whatever time is saved is offset by the additional time needed to catch and fix errors. You know this will improve, right?
Every week I choose five business technology news stories and include in this column, along with my thoughts on how they impact small businesses.
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