Dear Friend,
With the ongoing debate about AI’s safety, the impending destruction of mankind, and the end of content as we know it, it is good to remind oneself of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius’ insight: “The machine age may seem daunting, but we can humanize and subjugate machines. We should neither reject nor capitulate to them but design them to serve our needs.”
Read on to explore our climate future(s) and business’ role in this.
Over the last week I’ve been reading the latest Rebecca Solnit book, a compilation of climate essays - entitled “Not Too Late.”
I realize our platform here at be radical is business. Still, upon reading essay after essay, I feel compelled to encourage us to read more widely about the climate crisis and its implications for all life and business and to work on building a positive future through business.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the cost of climate and weather disasters in the United States last year totaled more than $165 billion – the third most costly year on record. Meanwhile, CO2 levels show no sign of slowing down, ocean temperatures continue to rise, and more people and creatures are being displaced due to extreme weather. The climate crisis is already affecting us all.
One of our biggest challenges is actually believing we can make a difference both on an individual and industry level. Both are possible, and both are needed (plus a massive one from our governments). We’ve done this before. Think of penicillin, organ transplants, the hole in the ozone layer, or the Covid-19 vaccine developed and produced in record time. Humans have a massive capacity for innovation and deployment – we only need to apply a concerted and sustained focus.
We talk on our be radical forums continually about the latest and greatest, such as our current AI debate in WhatsApp. There is so much potential and opportunity to use our technologies for good, which by the way, will also be good for jobs and business. This is why I implore you to explore the gimmicks like ChatGPT for social media posts and your kind’s homework, and also to consider how this might be used to push boundaries and harness technology for all our sakes.
It will take all our collective work to stop our breakneck speed from careering to the unthinkable, so please, today, take a moment to think and build what matters. (via Jane)
🧑🎨 Research: Asynchronous Work Can Fuel Creativity It’s a common misconception that working synchronously is better for creativity. New research shows working together asynchronously leads to greater creative freedom and, thus, greater creativity. This was especially important for underrepresented groups; therefore, collaborating asynchronously can encourage all voices and ideas to be heard and considered. Jane ⇢ Read
🥇 The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals Most of us are and will always be amateurs; what does it take to get to the next level? This article breaks down the main differences between the two, which essentially comes down to a mindset difference. Mafe ⇢ Read
🤐 The secrets of cooperation Understanding why and how humans cooperate can help us design environments and experiences more conducive to effective cooperation. Jeffrey ⇢ Read
🐟 MercadoLibre is a massive fish in a medium-sized pond Get to know the giant that dominates the e-commerce industry throughout Latin America – and no, it’s not Amazon. Pedro ⇢ Read
💽 The Future of AI Relies on a High School Teacher’s Free Database Another example of how our critical infrastructure (in this case AI) relies on the free work done by volunteers all around the world. Pascal ⇢ Read
🗣️ The exciting and disturbing times of deep(er) fakes are upon us.
📶 5G was supposed to be the be-and-end-all. It is not.
🦜 Democratization of tech: Parrots learn how to make video calls.
🤖 AI is, as kept being pointed out, neither artificial, nor intelligent.
🥩 It’s a long, long way to lab-grown meat.
🧑🦳 On the staying power of incumbent organizations.
Who would have thought? Despite (or maybe because of?) AI, chess is booming – with teens! ♟️
| 🏴☠️ The Heretic: Give a Damn | 🎧 Listen | 📺 Watch |
🧨 Disrupt Disruption - The Podcast: We brought Christina Nesheva, CEO at Officinae Bio, back to talk about leadership. Listen now.
📕 Disrupt Disruption – The Book: Get your copy of our bestselling book and learn how to decode the future, disrupt your industry, and transform your business here.
