[Link] AI systems design with purpose

An important subject, and Josh Lovejoy, Head of Design for Ethics & Society at Microsoft, tackles it here. The abstract:

For an industry that prides itself on moving fast, the tech community has been remarkably slow to adapt to the differences of designing with AI. Machine learning is an intrinsically fuzzy science, yet when it inevitably returns unpredictable results, we tend to react like it’s a puzzle to be solved; believing that with enough algorithmic brilliance, we can eventually fit all the pieces into place and render something approaching objective truth. But objectivity and truth are often far afield from the true promise of AI

 

[Link]: Clean the Tiles, Not the Floor

David Cain describes his mental switch to focus on one tile at a time instead of worrying about the pain of having to clean the whole floor.

As long as zeroed in on the current tile, rather than think about the dozens of tiles I had yet to clean, there was minimal discomfort and no tedium. Whenever my mind started to drift that way, I remembered my elegant strategy: look at a tile, and clean that tile. As far as I could tell, nothing more was required.

Rhetorical Devices: Accismus

Accismus (pronounced ak-SIZ-muhs) is the rhetorical refusal of something one actually wants, to try and convince themselves or others of a different opinion. It is  showing no interest in something while secretly wanting it. It’s a form of irony where one pretends indifference and refuses something while actually wanting it

An example from Aesop’s Fables:

Driven by hunger, a fox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on the vine but was unable to, although he leaped with all his strength. As he went away, the fox remarked ‘Oh, you aren’t even ripe yet! I don’t need any sour grapes.’ People who speak disparagingly of things that they cannot attain would do well to apply this story to themselves.

[Link] Scott Eblin on 3 Big Things …

This resonated strongly with me.

The longer the pandemic goes on, the more important the need for connection is. The way we’ve been working for the past year leads us to default to just getting the work done in a very transactional manner. When it’s just about getting the work done, connection suffers. That’s a longer-term problem because people need connection to be at their best.

Read more here

The seeds have sprouted!

Earlier this week, in Sunday Markets Inspiration, I wrote about the “$100 in earnings by the end of January” challenge to my young friends, who’d never sold a thing in their short lives.

Yesterday, they had achieved 12% of their goal. Today, with just their second customer, they blew past their goal. They were astounded that it was done with 3 days to spare. Even more so that the demand for their remaining wares is far exceeding their wildest expectations. “Can we double that in the next 3 days?” was the refrain today!

Less than a week ago, $100 was an impossible target because they’d never done it before. Today, Michelangelo’s words were, quintessentially, their reflection: The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Their accomplishment deserved celebration, of course. I had a glass of wine on their behalf because they’re not old enough to drink 🙂

The beautiful thing to me is  that in <5 weeks, they’ve discovered what value creation and exchange means, & how to harness it in their quest for financial freedom. They’ve learnt so many things about business models, cash flows, collaboration, marketing, human psychology, creativity, passion, how to prioritise, the value of reflection, stock markets, investing, trading, etc etc … AND applied every thing they learnt in their fledgling business.

Yes, there’s a long way to go but the seed has sprouted. I couldn’t be prouder of them!