As a technologist, it feels like I’m constantly time slipping — like Loki in Season 2 of his show. Every time I’ve finally wrapped my head around one groundbreaking AI technology, another one comes crashing in, pulling me out of my flow. Just like Loki’s painful and disorienting jumps between timelines, I’m yanked from one new release or framework to the next, barely catching my breath before being dropped into the middle of another innovation.
In the last week alone, we’ve had a flood of announcements that make it impossible to stand still for even a second. Here’s just a glimpse:
- OpenAI Swarm (October 16, 2024)
OpenAI dropped “Swarm,” an open-source framework for managing multiple autonomous AI agents—a move that could redefine how we approach collaborative AI and automation.
https://github.com/openai/swarm - WorldCoin Rebrands as World (October 18, 2024)
WorldCoin’s new Orb is yet another reminder that biometric and blockchain technology continues to merge in unpredictable ways. With its iris-scanning Orb, it’s trying to push a global financial identity system—a concept that sparks as much excitement as concern, especially around data privacy.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/18/24273691/world-orb-sam-altman-iris-scan-crypto-token - Microsoft’s Copilot with Autonomous Agents (October 21, 2024)
Microsoft’s second wave of Copilot introduces agents that can perform complex tasks autonomously, elevating Copilot from an assistant to a decision-making, workflow-automating powerhouse.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/copilot-studio/unlocking-autonomous-agent-capabilities-with-microsoft-copilot-studio/ - Anthropic’s New Models & ‘Computer Use’ Feature (October 22, 2024)
Anthropic has introduced the latest Claude 3.5 models, including a new ‘computer use’ feature that allows AI to interact directly with applications. This marks a major shift toward AI being able to execute tasks like filling out forms and interacting with user interfaces, making it a significant leap in real-world functionality.
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-3-5-sonnet- This seems same but different from https://www.openinterpreter.com/
The Data Speaks for Itself
These developments are not isolated. The latest Stanford AI Index Report 2024 provides some staggering numbers that put this onslaught of innovation into perspective:
- 149 foundation models were released in 2023, more than double the number from 2022, and a whopping 65.7%were open-source. That’s an overwhelming volume of tools, each requiring careful consideration for their potential applications.
- The number of AI-related publications has tripled since 2010, reaching over 240,000 by 2022. Staying on top of this research is an almost Sisyphean task, but these papers provide the groundwork for the rapid-fire advancements we’re seeing.
- Generative AI investments exploded to $25.2 billion in 2023, nearly eight times the previous year. This boom in funding is driving the constant stream of new AI tools and capabilities, each promising to reshape the landscape.
- AI was mentioned in 394 earnings calls across nearly 80% of Fortune 500 companies in 2023, an enormous jump from the 266 mentions in 2022. The sheer presence of AI in corporate strategy highlights how central this technology has become to every industry.
The Technologist’s Dilemma
The rapid pace of AI advancements presents an overwhelming challenge for technologists. Each new tool or framework isn’t just a minor update—it’s potentially transformative, requiring deep understanding and immediate adaptation. For those managing teams and implementing technological advancements, this fast-moving landscape demands constant learning and vigilance.
For more details and insights on the pace of AI developments, you can dive into the Stanford AI Index Report 2024 at this link:
https://aiindex.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HAI_AI-Index-Report-2024.pdf
Now I can go to sleep 😴
