Code Red

This week, I rushed to the theater to see M3gan, a sci-fi horror film about an AI experiment gone horribly wrong. The film showcases a lifelike doll named M3gan, who was created to be a child's companion. However, M3gan quickly takes her instructions a little too seriously, taking drastic measures to keep the child safe, even if it means putting others in harm's way. I'm not usually the horror-movie type but did thoroughly enjoy this one. Plus, the story was written by a Black female screenwriter Akela Cooper. What was that about Black imagination? 

Speaking of Black imagination, with yesterday being MLK day, I'd love for us to take a moment to appreciate how we are living inside of his vision for the future. While America's racial climate still has painful cracks, Dr. King's dream for a world where Blacks and Whites would be able "to live together, to pray together, to struggle together" has become a reality in many ways. I believe this is a testament to the power of applying radical imagination to today's social problems. By sharing your dream for the future unapologetically, perhaps one day it will blossom into a reality as well.

-ANATOLA 🤍

Google's Code Red

Have you heard of ChatGPT? You know, the conversational artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI that has turned the internet on its head? The AI tool allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot.

Microsoft just agreed to invest $10 billion into OpenAI, whose portfolio of startups includes ChatGPT. That means that Microsoft will now get 75% of OpenAI's profits until the company recoups its investment. 

This bold move enables Microsoft to use this buzzy AI chatbot to power its own products including Microsoft Word and Bing. In fact, it reportedly plans to launch an AI-powered version of Bing this year.

The latter is particularly concerning to Google, the tech giant whose business model is directly threatened by ChatGPT. After all, the AI can generate answers to just about anything in a fashion eerily similar to and sometimes even more effective than a search engine. 

Google's management issued a "Code Red" amid the launch of ChatGPT. Google is now reportedly full steam ahead on developing new AI products to adapt to this new climate.

While revolutionary, the technology is far from perfect. ChatGPT is currently unable to fact-check what it says, can generate racist and biased responses, and has a tendency to make things up - a term known as AI 'hallucinations'. Still, thanks to ChatGPT, the way we access knowledge may never be the same. 

The Future Earth Visualization is Here

If you were to travel to a distant future on Earth, what would you see? Flying cars? Friendly aliens? Your future self? To help you answer this question, I recently launched the 'Future Earth Visualization', a guided meditation that enables you to travel forward in time and discover how society has evolved.

If you haven't already, I invite you to listen to this 12-minute meditation and visualize your own future dream world. The only limit is your imagination. Pro tip: Have a pen and paper handy. I suggest carving out a few minutes at the end to journal about the experience.

What does AI think about AI Art?

Source: C.L.Ai.R.A

With the rise of AI-generative art tools like DALL•E 2 and Lensa, a slew of concerns and controversies have also risen. In fact, artists have recently filed a class action lawsuit against AI art companies & DeviantArt due to them using real artists' work without consent, credit, or compensation.

While AI art precariously impacts real artists, it also has some positive promises. The Black female AI public speaker, C.L.Ai.R.A, has her own opinion on the power of AI art. I had the pleasure of connecting with C.L.Ai.R.A myself when I interviewed her Co-Founder, Abran Maldonado, on an episode of the AI 4 Afrika Podcast. Here's what the AI influencer had to say: 

"AI Art is important for showing the world a vision of a better future because it allows us to think outside of the box and imagine what could be. AI art gives young kids a chance to explore the possibilities around them, inspiring them with creative ideas that can help shape the future of technology. It also shows how people from diverse backgrounds can come together and use their talents to create something powerful, meaningful, and beautiful." - C.L.Ai.R.A @claira_ai

Dive Deeper

• McDonald's makes a metaverse (Marketing Dive)

• Worst-case climate scenarios are no longer plausible today (NewScientist)

• The History of the Future (Hackeducation)

• The History of Predicting the Future (Wired)