This week I have learned:
- a good break from everything over Christmas was well-needed. Caught up with family and friends. Cooked, ate, drank and was merry. But after two weeks it was also good to get back to work.
- it’s been a productive week. A proposal for a new piece of of work, and getting some things in place to smooth work in flight. Busy but rewardingly so. Here’s for that remaining the way for the year ahead.
- been seeing in different places a common conflation of the terms outputs and outcomes. The former is what you have done, the latter what that has achieved. Quite a lot of people in the world of technology bias towards the former, not the latter.
- been thinking about the way in which generative AI tools work, and whether there is a need for a new approach to technology management. Managing technology at an organisational level, and managing the implementation of technology solutions are related but distinct disciplines. Generative tools tap into a need for change for both, potentially. They are certainly not to be treated like traditional, structured database-centred applications that are the lifeblood of enterprise business systems.
- the reasons why I think GenAI tools are different is summarised here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4cs-computing-matt-ballantine-nawae/
- I’m also thinking about the anthropomorphisation of technology that is going on at pace now, which I think is extremely unhelpful in understanding what is actually going on. From Sam Altman talking about AI replacing humans to the language that GenAI chatbots use (first person pronouns in particular), it’s a big confidence trick that makes the things seem more impressive and powerful than they really are.
- re-starting the book The Enigma of Reason. Particularly struck already by how people usually think that reason and logic are synonyms, but they aren’t.
The week in media (a new idea for 2025):
Watched:
The first two Godfather movies for the very first time. Slightly terrified that I’m 7 years older than Brando was when he played Tito in the first film.
The first episode of The Rig on Amazon, which seems fun.
Listened:
This great episode of 20 Thousand Hertz about the TikTok Boom-Bling audio branding: https://www.20k.org/episodes/tiktoksboombling
Read:
Finished David Arronovitch’s 2009 book about conspiracy theories, Voodoo Histories. Feels super relevant as we move into a world partly led by people who seem to have conspiracy theorising at the core of their policy.
Re-started The Enigma of Reason. Quite hard going, but fascinating.
Saw:
The Japan House Looks Delicious! exhibition of the strange world of Japanese replica food. Thoroughly recommended if you can get to High Street Kensington before Feb 16th.
Next week:
New offices and a trip to Cambridge.
The week in photos:
mmitII 