Newsletter #50, ChatGPT Turns One
June 1 to December 1. What a ride it's been.
Obligatory ‘ChatGPT One Year In’ Article
You’ve probably already read one of these, since they’ve been crowding your newsfeed all week. Yes, it was only a year ago today that Chat GPT launched (I’m writing this on November 30) and has apparently changed the world. However, if you need a recap and would like a snapshot of the current-state-of-AI, this article from the Verge is great.
Required Reading for UX Designers
Not exactly AI related, but it discusses how AI is impacting your craft. In the State of UX in 2024, you can read a sober and honest assessment of what to expect and how to prepare yourself for the coming year. While grim at times, it’s better to be prepared.
Stable Diffusion Turbo is Mind Blowing
The press release said it could generate a video as fast as you could type. Almost true, see below. There is a brief lag, but it’s almost instant. Try it here on clipdrop.co
The quality is not quite as good and I’m not sure why you’d need it so fast, but it’s fun to play with. You can read a longer review, here.
Yet Another Free AI Course
Andrew Ng–an AI pioneer and Stanford computer science professor–has released a new course called Generative AI for Everyone. Designed for a non-technical audience, the course will “guide you through how generative AI works and what it can (and can’t) do. It includes hands-on exercises where you’ll learn to use generative AI to help in day-to-day work.” Check it out
Meredith Walker asks Hard Questions About AI
I’ve written about Walker before in this newsletter and I really enjoyed this profile from Vox which is part of a larger series called The Future Perfect 50: The thinkers, activists, and scholars working on solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems. If you ever felt that the tech companies behind AI were to big to be trusted and wished someone was watching, rest assured, Meredith is on your side.
Four Big Ideas for AI+UX Designers
If you’re a Product Designer, or you just like thinking about how to solve the emerging challenges of AI+UX, you might like this article from Fast Company, where they showcase four companies that are trying to solve real business problems with AI. Factories, scheduling, and hiring may not sound sexy, but I bet they filled a lot of UX roles to get it done. Preview below. Check it out
Andonix
For bringing conversational AI to the factory floor
Clockwise
For letting people avoid scheduling headaches through AI conversations
Datapeople
For using AI to make hiring more equitable
Logitech
For melding 19th- and 21st-century technology for better videoconferencing
ChatGPT Prompts for UX Designers
If you’ve been out of school for a while and you’ve forgotten “how to UX” or if you’re an accomplished UX designer who hasn’t learned how to use ChatGPT yet, you’ll find this article helpful. I read about this stuff every day and I should know better, but I was blown away by the volume of suggestions on how I could improve my workflow.
The AI Jobs Market: From AI Breakfast
I read a lot of AI newsletters every morning and I get a lot of value from AI Breakfast. the following passage is a direct copy and paste from them, so if you like it, go check them out
Demand for generative AI skills has surged, with Meta, Amazon, and Capital One leading in job postings. Companies across various sectors seek AI expertise, reflecting a paradigm shift in work requirements. Lightcast’s study highlights 10,113 job postings related to generative AI, from tech firms to education platforms. Major players like Meta, with 330 listings, and Capital One, with 305, offer roles paying over $200,000, indicating a competitive job market in AI-related fields.
> AI jobs pay $100000 or more—and many can all be done from home. LinkedIn data reveals the surprising leads in AI job hires: professional services, retail, and manufacturing outpace tech. Not just tech roles, demand extends to non-technical positions like sales managers and supply chain specialists, showcasing a growing need for AI literacy across diverse job functions.
> Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs, are fiercely competing for AI talent. In the past year, Goldman Sachs experienced a net loss of 60 AI specialists to rivals like Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Conversely, Wells Fargo gained 130 staff, showcasing the dynamic talent movement. Banks like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase are actively enhancing their AI capabilities, with JPMorgan Chase adding 325 AI-focused employees recently.
> A survey reveals a growing demand for AI skills among employers, with 73% prioritizing such hires. Despite this, 75% struggle to find qualified candidates. The survey indicates potential salary increases for AI-skilled workers across various departments, with hikes up to 43% in sales and marketing, 42% in finance, and 35% in human resources. Companies are exploring various strategies to address the AI talent shortage, such as educational partnerships and leveraging gig workers.
> Europe now surpasses the US in AI talent, with a 10x increase in AI professionals over the last decade, according to Atomico's research. This growth has fueled European tech startups, with AI firms raising 11 of 36 mega-rounds in 2023. The continent has also gained four AI-focused unicorns: DeepL, Helsing.ai, Synthesia, and Quantexa. Despite layoffs, Europe's tech workforce has grown, benefitting from net talent migration from the US. The rise in tech workers has sparked a surge in new startups, with 14,000 European founders compared to 1,000 fewer in the US. However, European startups face challenges in VC funding.
That’s a wrap! It’s December 1st already. I hope you’re having a great time and getting a lot of value out of this newsletter. As always, send me a message if you have any requests!