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Who is Sam Altman?

On Friday, OpenAI’s high-flying chief executive Sam Altman was unexpectedly fired by the company’s board. Co-founder and chief technology officer Greg Brockman was also removed as the board president, after which he promptly resigned. Now it looks like Sam Altman has ended up at Microsoft. In an unexpected twist, talks began about potentially reinstating Altman in some capacity following an outpouring of industry and investor support for him and several OpenAI researchers who quit their jobs in solidarity. OpenAI’s board found a new CEO –Emmett Shear – in record time. Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, will now take over from Murati as interim CEO. It has been an epic backstabbing scene worthy of the HBO drama Succession. While many have speculated about why the board may have forced Altman out, details remain scarce. What we can say is the decision to fire Altman will likely put a dent in OpenAI’s commercial progress. An unusual company structure OpenAI is the hottest company in tech today, having released the ChatGPT chatbot and DALL-E image generator onto a largely unsuspecting public. The company’s mission is simple: to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) – that is, an AI which is as smart or smarter than a human – and to do so for the public good. Many were starting to believe OpenAI could succeed at this goal. But developing AGI isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s a major management and economic nightmare. How can you ensure the vast power and wealth generated by AGI doesn’t subvert the company’s goal to seek the public good? Many individuals within OpenAI and the wider tech community worry AI is progressing too fast. A global race in AI development is underway and the commercial pressure to succeed is immense. Following its launch, ChatGPT quickly became the fastest-growing app […]

Downstream preparation and local ancillary needed for Malaysia’s expanding automotive and electronic vehicle ecosystem

Amid significant injections into the Malaysian Automotive market, the helping hand of collaborative robots can help sub-sector players deal with newly accelerated peaks in manufacturing By Marvin Ming, Country Manager Malaysia, Universal Robots Malaysia has taken a major leap forward in its quest in becoming the region’s automotive and EV hub, with industry leaders Tesla choosing the nation to be its regional headquarters. This deal comes amid an injection of Electric Vehicle (EV) related investments stemming from 2018, with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) approving 58 EV investment projects totaling RM 26.2 billion. Currently, the country has nearly 1,000 EV charging stations and plans to build a further 10,000 across the country by 2025, with this investment aimed at covering vehicle assembly along with the manufacturing of EV parts and charging components. Malaysia does seem to be shaping into the region’s automotive hub and EV hub, but is the nation ready for the increased demands this entails? It is paramount that sub-sector players in Malaysia have to make downstream preparation for the strain on the industry this impending transformation is going to bring about. Becoming the Region’s Automotive Hub According to reports, the Asia-Pacific EV market was valued at US$230 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach US$778 billion come 2027. The recent Tesla announcement is not the only factor in the sector’s increased value, as three major Chinese automotive players – BYD, Great Wall Motor, and Cherry, have also launched in Malaysia this year. Additionally, Malaysia is also home to other international automotive companies and assembly plants, with the likes of Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all manufacturing within the country. Equipped with the existing expertise in manufacturing, Malaysia’s components sub sector could potentially be used to double up in servicing the projected automotive exploits, covering a […]

Your company’s visionaries are wrong about the Internet of Things

Slowly but steadily, pressure is building for industrial companies to come to grips with the fact that technology-enabled disruptive change is here. This creates tension in most companies, because the culture in many industries is quite conservative when it comes to innovation. Product designers may be keen to innovate in their traditional areas of expertise, yet still be reluctant to consider new designs that rely on software and enhanced connectivity. Production groups find it difficult to justify even the time it takes to consider new ways of operating, and making do with aging production systems and techniques is the norm. So when a company’s visionaries talk about ‘Internet of Things’ or ‘Industrie 4.0′ AI, or other terms for technology-enabled digital transformation, they are taking a risk. But are they right? To be sure, there’s plenty of hype in the market. It’s easy to find incredible claims about “xx billions of connected devices” or “yy trillions of dollars.” On the other hand are the naysayers who dismiss the trends saying “we’ve been doing it for years” or “we’ll never do that?” You can even find surveys from respectable firms that say “half of manufacturing executives don’t know about IoT” or some other comforting statistic. We’re not the only ones, you think. Maybe it’s not real. And if it is, it looks like I’ve got plenty of time to figure it out. Wrong. That building pressure comes from the growing gap between two forces: The exponential growth of computing technologies, and the linear thinking and inertia of humans and human systems. And that pressure is akin to tectonic pressure building at a fault line: the changes are barely noticeable for a long time, until a seismic shift unleashes a massive change. This pressure derives from what Ray Kurzweil calls the law of […]

What is the future of work?

Just like the world at large, the world of work shifts and changes over time. The future of work refers to an informed perspective on what businesses and other organisations need to know about how work could shift (given digitisation and other trends), plus how workforces and workplaces can prepare for those changes, big and small. When you think of the future of work, what do you picture? Offices that look more or less like today’s? Factories full of robots? Or something else entirely? While no one can predict the future with absolute certainty, the world of work is changing, just as the world itself is. Looking ahead at how work will shift, along with trends affecting the workforce and workplaces, can help you prepare for what is next: One in sixteen workers may have to switch occupations by 2030. That is more than 100 million workers across the eight economies studied—and the pandemic accelerated expected workforce transitions. Job growth will be more concentrated in high-skill jobs (for example, in healthcare or science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] fields), while middle- and low-skill jobs (such as food service, production work, or office support roles) will decline. A few job categories could see more growth than others. The rise of e-commerce created demand for warehouse workers; investments in the green economy could increase the need for wind turbine technicians; aging populations in many advanced economies will increase demand for nurses, home health aides, and hearing-aid technicians; and teachers and training instructors will also continue to find work over the coming decade. But other types of jobs may be at risk: for example, as grocery stores increasingly install self-checkout counters, there may be a need for fewer clerks, and robotics used to process routine paperwork may lessen demand for some office workers. The future of work was shifting […]

Working with AI: Real Stories of Human-Machine Collaboration

Two management and technology experts show that AI is not a job destroyer, exploring worker-AI collaboration in real-world work settings. This book breaks through both the hype and the doom-and-gloom surrounding automation and the deployment of artificial intelligence-enabled—“smart”—systems at work. Management and technology experts Thomas Davenport and Steven Miller show that, contrary to widespread predictions, prescriptions, and denunciations, AI is not primarily a job destroyer. Rather, AI changes the way we work—by taking over some tasks but not entire jobs, freeing people to do other, more important and more challenging work. By offering detailed, real-world case studies of AI-augmented jobs in settings that range from finance to the factory floor, Davenport and Miller also show that AI in the workplace is not the stuff of futuristic speculation. It is happening now to many companies and workers. These cases include a digital system for life insurance underwriting that analyzes applications and third-party data in real time, allowing human underwriters to focus on more complex cases; an intelligent telemedicine platform with a chat-based interface; a machine learning-system that identifies impending train maintenance issues by analyzing diesel fuel samples; and Flippy, a robotic assistant for fast food preparation. For each one, Davenport and Miller describe in detail the work context for the system, interviewing job incumbents, managers, and technology vendors. Short “insight” chapters draw out common themes and consider the implications of human collaboration with smart systems.

Asia-Pacific most receptive to smart manufacturing usage globally

Companies believe smart manufacturing is key to their business’ future success, The State of Smart Manufacturing Report reveals. Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, has announced the results of its 7th annual study, “The State of Smart Manufacturing Report.” The research reveals that smart manufacturing adoption accelerated by 50% globally in 2021, and these new technologies are now solving the industry’s critical challenges. Asia-Pacific (APAC) organisations (93%) view smart manufacturing as “very” or “extremely” important to future success, compared to North America (NA) (84%) and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) (75%). Reflecting their optimistic attitude towards smart manufacturing, most APAC companies reported a shorter timeframe – “within the next 7 to 11 months” – for adoption of smart manufacturing solutions, compared with NA and EMEA’s majority response of “within the next 1-2 years”. The global study surveyed more than 300 manufacturers in a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, electronics, consumer goods, plastics and rubber, precision metal forming, and more. This year’s report, conducted in collaboration with Hanover Research, offers valuable insights into trends, challenges, and future plans for global manufacturers. The report aims to help manufacturers benchmark their technology strategy and incorporate smart manufacturing best practices to stay competitive and thrive. A scalable technology strategy makes it possible to incrementally adopt solutions and achieve value quickly. As manufacturers look to streamline processes and solve today’s challenges, they are placing significant value on using smart technology to address and improve actual business outcomes. The report’s findings show the pandemic both exposed and exacerbated pre-existing conditions in manufacturing. Skilled worker shortages, competition, and supply chain disruptions are the top three challenges being faced by Asia-Pacific companies because of the pandemic. With that in mind, nine in 10 APAC respondents (93%) believe smart […]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be people powered

Companies at the forefront of the technology frontier are empowering their workers with digital technologies—and the skills they need to use them. For many members of the world’s workforces, change can sometimes be seen as a threat, particularly when it comes to technology. This is often coupled with fears that automation will replace people. But a look beyond the headlines shows that the reverse is proving to be true, with Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies driving productivity and growth across manufacturing and production at brownfield and greenfield sites. These technologies are creating more and different jobs that are transforming manufacturing and helping to build fulfilling, rewarding, and sustainable careers. What’s more, with 4IR technologies in the hands of a workforce empowered with the skills needed to use them, an organisation’s digital transformation journey can move from aspiration to reality. While there is a common perception that digitisation and automation are a threat to the world’s workers, companies at the forefront of the technology frontier have actually created jobs—different, new roles that are much more high tech than the roles of the past. And with the current labor mismatch being felt in many countries, the time is now to further engage workers for a digitally enabled future. This focus is backed by growing research proving that workforce engagement is key. Over the last several years, research with the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with McKinsey, surveyed thousands of manufacturing sites on their way to digitising operations and have identified about 90 leaders. These are the lighthouses—sites and supply chains chosen by an independent panel of experts for leadership in creating dramatic improvements with technology. Together they create the Global Lighthouse Network, committed to sharing what they’ve learned along the way. A common theme among these sites is their worker centricity—they are supporting the […]

We Need to Talk About Inflation

Stephen D King With the title clearly a take on the Lionel Shriver book, “We must talk about Kevin”, one is immediately warned to approach Stephen King’s book with trepidation. Like Kevin, inflation in this book is bad, particularly if out of control. And like Kevin’s parents, those responsible for keeping inflation in check should be made to read and understand the warning signs early enough and act decisively to tame it. Otherwise, it all ends in tragedy. Unless of course we learn the lessons – 14 of them according to King, and not just from the recent crises but going back 2,000 years. So we can live happily ever after and in one piece, unlike the characters in Lionel Shriver’s tale. Well- that at least is the conclusion one gets to when reading King’s book. There are some lighter moments like the recurring theme of the love/hate relationship between Richard Burton and Elisabeth Taylor to characterise what is going on between monetary authorities and the fiscal side of the equation. Periods of harmony are great. Pulling in opposite directions proves disastrous. And King offers lots of historical examples as to when things went well on the inflation front and when they didn’t. Some interesting conclusions though. In King’s view the argument used by central banks against tightening, that it was all just ‘transitory’, was fuelled by central banks having presided over a low inflation environment for nearly two decades, falling victim of their own anti-inflation propaganda. As a result, serious mistakes were made when circumstances suddenly changed. We saw the impact of the supply and demand imbalances when Covid restrictions ended and then the extra pressures on energy and food prices with the war in Ukraine. But in King’s view the reappearance of inflation in the last couple of […]

What is the future of work?

Just like the world at large, the world of work shifts and changes over time. The future of work refers to an informed perspective on what businesses and other organistions need to know about how work could shift (given digitisation and other trends), plus how workforces and workplaces can prepare for those changes, big and small. When you think of the future of work, what do you picture? Offices that look more or less like today’s? Factories full of robots? Or something else entirely? While no one can predict the future with absolute certainty, the world of work is changing, just as the world itself is. Looking ahead at how work will shift, along with trends affecting the workforce and workplaces, can help you prepare for what is next: One in sixteen workers may have to switch occupations by 2030. That is more than 100 million workers across the eight economies studied—and the pandemic accelerated expected workforce transitions. Job growth will be more concentrated in high-skill jobs (for example, in healthcare or science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] fields), while middle- and low-skill jobs (such as food service, production work, or office support roles) will decline. A few job categories could see more growth than others. The rise of e-commerce created demand for warehouse workers; investments in the green economy could increase the need for wind turbine technicians; aging populations in many advanced economies will increase demand for nurses, home health aides, and hearing-aid technicians; and teachers and training instructors will also continue to find work over the coming decade. But other types of jobs may be at risk: for example, as grocery stores increasingly install self-checkout counters, there may be a need for fewer clerks, and robotics used to process routine paperwork may lessen demand for some office workers. The future of work was shifting […]

Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology

By Chris Miller An epic account of the decades-long battle to control what has emerged as the world’s most critical resource—microchip technology—with the United States and China increasingly in conflict. You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil—the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything—from missiles to microwaves, smartphones to the stock market—runs on chips. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower. Now, America’s edge is slipping, undermined by competitors in Taiwan, Korea, Europe, and, above all, China. Today, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more money each year importing chips than it spends importing oil, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America’s military superiority and economic prosperity. Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the U.S. become dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America’s victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. But here, too, China is catching up, with its chip-building ambitions and military modernization going hand in hand. America has let key components of the chip-building process slip out of its grasp, contributing not only to a worldwide chip shortage but also a new Cold War with a superpower adversary that is desperate to bridge the gap. Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War shows that, to make sense of the current state of politics, economics, and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chips.

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