REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

Leveling the Playing Field Between Content Producers and Content Outlets

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Paul Vieira outlines the actions taken by the Canadian Government that would force Facebook and Google (amongst others) to pay media outlets for links.  I call this leveling the playing field, and this podcast outlines why it is time for this to happen.  And by extension, the same compensation needs to occur from the AI vendors that are training their tools on intellectual capital they do not have rights to.

What questions do you need to ask when looking at new technologies?

An article I read - "7 Ley questions CIOs need to answer before committing to generative AI," got me thinking about what questions need to be ASKED prior to not just AI - but any technology that is acquired/implemented. Using just a small component of the EACOE Enterprise Architecture approach will provide these questions. It is worth just a few minutes of your time, I believe.

Paid Information Sources or the Public Internet

Whether you are into AI or not, we all have a choice to make when we are looking for information of any kind – restaurant recommendations, business trends, gasoline prices, strategies, or best practices.  Two fundamental sources exist – paid sources and no-cost sources.  Have you thought about it in these simple terms?  That is what this broadcast is about.

AI Writing Your Code? You are still in Maturity Level 1

I recently read an article titled AI is Writing Code Now. For Companies, That is Good and Bad. In summary, it is bad.  It is not only bad because we are increasing complexity and exacerbating technical debt, but these organizations are just speeding up what they have been doing for decades. It is time to realize where we are in Information Technology Maturity and get the organization on the path to Maturity Level 3 – Assemble Solutions to Order.

Eight Famous AI Disasters (Plus One)

In a recent CIO article, eight famous analytics and AI disasters are described, discussed, and analyzed.  There is a common theme that is apparent after a bit of analysis is done.  I call this the ninth and continuing disaster.  A solution to this ongoing disaster is outlined.

Google AI Bard Privacy and Use Statement and Best Practices

As a public service, I am reading the actual “Bard Privacy Notice” in this podcast.  It is worth all to spend five minutes listening to this Notice.  I will then relate this Notice to what it means to those of us that in some way, rely on the Internet/AI for information and the use of this information.  WOW!

EA and BA Multiple Choice Exams - the time has come to end this practice

On the heels of a widely published academic study on the AI-enabled cheating occurring on college campuses surrounding exams, college campuses are studying and looking at alternatives – both oral exams and, more importantly, skills-based demonstration, to access academic achievement and competency.  The motivation is quite simple for colleges.  If a degree no longer designates legitimate achievement, it will cease to hold value.  Colleges are at a real risk of becoming diploma mills.  It is time the Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture certification community recognized this situation before certifications in these fields became what some are already calling "certification mills."  Some certification bodies are already there.

What Data are AI Engines Being Trained On?

The fuel for Artificial Intelligence is data.  Good fuel (data) will provide good energy (answers).  However, bad fuel (bad data), will cause issues both in the long term and short term (bad answers, misleading information, untruths, and many more undesirable outcomes).
There is no known, as of this broadcast date, list of data sources that any of the AI engines are being trained on.  What does that mean to the AI “consumer”?  Maybe we need a different approach to how to train these AI engines.

Artificial Intelligence HAL 9000 and Risk

There is much discussion about the potential use of Artificial Intelligence for purposes that are less noble or in the best interest of most of us. OK, no disagreement. But does anyone really believe that establishing a national government or worldwide agency to regulate AI will be a solution? I do not. Yes, the government may have a role. I would like to suggest that using the AI Engine with great data will serve society, organizations, and individuals, and at a minimum, the support for these concepts should be equal or more than wringing of hands.

Best Practices Artificial Intelligence and the Internet

Let us begin with a summary – the Internet does not have best practices. The Internet has published practices. Let us work through the logic because there are no best practices on the internet. Really nothing shocking – just a bit of realization.