Generative AI like ChatGPT is trending right now, and it's surprising how good this platform already is, given its early days. The speed at which it is spreading is unprecedented and far exceeds the speed of technological advances of the past. I hope it will complement (and perhaps replace) the user interface (GUI) that has largely replaced the command line interface, which has replaced computer boards for programming and data entry.
Scholars previously advanced the date of the Peculiarity from the XNUMXs or XNUMXs to around XNUMX. And even that data may also be too conservative, as generative AI seems to be going vertical in both demand and adoption.
It's almost certain to change productivity tools like Microsoft Office (Microsoft is a user), video conferencing software, scheduling tools, and even the way you interact with smart devices like autonomous vehicles and phones.
And it will also mean that we are going to have to rethink public transport and even offices. Let's look at why offices and workplaces need to be rearranged, how we can reduce hassle and inconvenience, and the need to tie the resulting interface more closely to each user.
Office Redesign on a Generative AI Planet
At this point, generative AI is primarily about language in terms of how we interact with it. They are language models, which means that we will be able to chat with them and have them respond to us as much as we interact with people. (Interestingly, people usually understand faster written communication, but prefer to use voice when it's an alternative.)
Think of products like AT&T's Visual Voicemail - voicemail could be translated to text, but people still preferred to hear a message at normal speed, even though we could listen to it up to three times. but quickly.
As generative AI technology matures, we and our colleagues will increasingly need to chat with our computers and make our computers respond. Headphones can help reduce noise, but only now do we have microphone technology that will allow us to chat without bothering everyone else in the office. Unfortunately, these technologies tend to be cumbersome and less likely to be used unless people are forced to.
Beyond the office: changes in public transport
Now imagine what this means for air travel and other forms of public transportation. Travelers have generally dismissed the idea of using phones on airplanes (although it is tolerated in a few other parts of the world). Can you imagine everyone talking, and having their computers respond, on a long non-stop flight?
When it comes to office setups, open plan design and cubicles aren't going to work either, for the same reason. We'll have to figure out a better way to cut the sound, or else all those chatterers and computers are going to get everyone out of the office and back into the privacy of their homes. This would quickly undermine the current flood of returnees until a solution is established.
In short, as generative AI gains ground, we need to think about any and all side effects that its use is going to have and work quickly to address them. We are going to have to advance noise cancellation technology at a much faster rate at scale and design offices capable of removing ambient noise. An alternative would be to use the inverse sound wave technology that is being developed in the automotive market but has not yet been applied to offices. It should be possible to reduce ambient noise in frequented spaces without requiring the radical use of headphones and mouth-mounted microphones.
In short, once the first wave of attention and hype has passed, generative AI will force us to rethink the way we work and travel. Otherwise, we could face new levels of hostility and anger, just as I did recently when I did a voice interview while sitting in an airplane.
My fellow travelers...were not amused. If we want to fully integrate generative AI into our lives, these are the aggravating models we need to avoid going forward.
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