Five Top Tech Takeaways: AI Bans at Work, Disney Hiring AI to Cut Costs, RoboTaxis are Here, Anxiety over Voyager 2 and ChatGPT can't add?

RoboTaxi Watching a Lost Satellite

BlackBerry Research Reveals Workplace Caution Against Generative AI 

BlackBerry's new research indicates that 75% of organizations globally are either implementing or considering bans on ChatGPT and other generative AI applications on work devices. The study involved 2,000 IT decision-makers from eight countries, with 61% of them considering a permanent ban. Risks to data security, privacy, and corporate reputation are driving up the decisions to take action, with 83% voicing concerns that unsecured apps pose a cybersecurity threat to their corporate IT environment. Despite this inclination towards blocking widespread use of the technology, most IT decision-makers recognize the opportunity for generative AI applications to have a positive impact in the workplace. (Source: CTV)

Robotaxis Take Over San Francisco: A Glimpse into Waymo and Cruise's Future

Driverless cars have become a common sight in San Francisco, with Waymo and Cruise offering robotaxi services to the public. These services work similarly to traditional ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft but are operated by autonomous vehicles. Currently, San Francisco is the only city where two companies provide 24/7 driverless services to the public, though there are limitations in areas of operation, and Waymo is yet to charge for its rides. Despite some minor safety incidents and political opposition, the experience with these services has been mostly positive, with conservative driving behavior and smooth rides. Waymo's current fleet consists of about 200 cars and is doing around 10,000 trips per week, aiming to increase this tenfold by next summer. Cruise, operating with 300 customized Chevy Bolt vehicles, averages 1,000 trips a day in San Francisco. Both companies are planning to expand, with Waymo seeking a permit to charge for rides and Cruise targeting $1 billion in robotaxi revenue by 2025. (Source: Bloomberg)

Magic or Menace? Disney's AI Task Force and the Debate Over Jobs in Hollywood

Walt Disney Company has formed a task force to study artificial intelligence (AI) applications across its various businesses, ranging from movie and TV production to theme parks and advertising. The task force aims to develop in-house AI solutions, forming partnerships with startups, and is looking to hire experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Disney's embrace of AI could help control the ever-increasing costs of producing big-budget films, enhance customer support in theme parks, and even create lifelike characters that interact with guests. Although the task force was established earlier in the year, the company's decision to hire during the writer's strike raised eyebrows. More broadly, the move towards AI has ignited tensions in Hollywood, particularly among writers and actors, who see AI as a threat to their livelihoods. This concern has become a central issue in contract negotiations with both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), resulting in an ongoing strike. (Source: Reuters)

Decline in ChatGPT's Mathematical Abilities: A New Research Study

New research from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley has revealed a decline in the mathematical abilities of ChatGPT, specifically in identifying prime numbers and other basic operations. This deterioration is an example of a phenomenon known as "drift," where attempts to improve one aspect of the complex AI models can cause other parts to perform worse. Between March and June, the premium GPT-4's success rate in identifying whether numbers were prime dropped from 84% to 51%. The research showed that GPT-4 became worse at six out of eight different tasks, although GPT-3.5 improved in some measures. This inconsistency in performance, along with the unexpected rate of drift, emphasizes the complex challenges in AI development and calls for systematic and continuous monitoring and testing to understand their evolving capabilities. 

OpenAI responded to the research with the following: "When we release new model versions, our top priority is to make newer models smarter across the board. We are working hard to ensure that new versions result in improvements across a comprehensive range of tasks. That said, our evaluation methodology isn’t perfect, and we’re constantly improving it." (Source: WSJ)

37 Hours of Anxiety: How Voyager 2 Was Nearly Lost Forever

On July 21, Suzanne Dodd's team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory accidentally sent a wrong command to Voyager 2, causing its antenna to point slightly away from Earth, resulting in a loss of communication with the probe that's 12.4 billion miles away. Recognizing the error, the team crafted a solution to send a "shout" command to adjust the antenna back. Utilizing the high-elevation, 70-meter, 100-kilowatt S-band transmitter at the communication station in Canberra, Australia, they sent the highest-power signal and anxiously waited 37 hours for a response. Contact was restored on August 3, much to the team's relief. Had the attempt failed, a backup option of onboard flight software’s fault protection routine would have been the last resort. Despite this two-week gap, the scientific work was not interrupted, but the incident served as a stark reminder of the spacecraft's age and vulnerability. (Source: Wired)

Author: Malik Datardina, CPA, CA, CISA. Malik works at Auvenir as a GRC Strategist that is working to transform the engagement experience for accounting firms and their clients. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent UWCISA, UW, Auvenir (or its affiliates), CPA Canada or anyone else. This post was written with the assistance of an AI language model. The model provided suggestions and completions to help me write, but the final content and opinions are my own.

The Furious Five (June 27):Adobe/Meta AI Moves, Netflix's Anti-Sharing Economy, and the Titan Tragedy

Adobe Dominates (link)

Adobe's Financial Triumph Fueled by AI Innovation

Adobe's focus on AI has been credited for the company's recent financial successes. For example, the company is leveraging AI innovations across its product suite, notably Firefly, an AI tool for generating images. This focus on AI has contributed to Adobe's robust financial performance, with the company surpassing Wall Street expectations for the quarter ended June 2, posting revenues of $4.82 billion and adjusted profits of $3.91 per share. Adobe's shares rose over 5% in aftermarket trading following the announcement. This bullish outlook extends to future performance, with Adobe forecasting its current-quarter revenue to be in the range of $4.83 to $4.87 billion, and raising its FY 2023 revenue forecast to between $19.25 billion and $19.35 billion. The company's stock has seen a significant 40% increase since May, driven in part by investor optimism around Adobe's AI strategy. However, some analysts warn of potential overvaluation due to the hype around AI. Despite this, Adobe's management remains optimistic about the future of AI in enhancing their product accessibility and customer productivity. (Source: Reuters, Seeking Alpha)

Outmaneuvering the Competition: Meta’s Open-Source AI Gambit

Tech giant Meta is reportedly planning to offer a commercial license for its forthcoming open-source large language model (LLM), according to an exclusive from The Information. If true, this marks a major shift in approach, as most currently commercially used language models, such as Google's Bard and OpenAI's ChatGPT, are closed-source. This innovative move could potentially lead to broader adoption by companies seeking a more flexible and cost-effective AI solution. However, it's worth noting that this development hasn't been widely reported or confirmed by Meta, so caution is advised until further information is available. (Source: Artisana)

Trustworthy AI: NAIAC's Strategy for Harnessing AI Benefits and Mitigating Risks + NIST AI Risk Framework

The National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) has submitted its inaugural report to the President, outlining strategies for the U.S. government to harness the benefits of AI technology while mitigating its potential risks. The report emphasizes the need for trustworthy AI, new R&D initiatives, international collaboration, and workforce support. Future focus areas for NAIAC include rapidly evolving AI sectors like generative AI. The committee is also set to reassess its working groups to more effectively study the influence of AI on various societal facets such as workforce, equity, and societal norms. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves highlighted the critical juncture the country is at regarding AI development and the necessity of balancing innovation with risk management. The Biden-Harris administration has emphasized responsible American innovation in AI to safeguard people's rights and safety. The committee's future endeavors will consider mechanisms to keep pace with the swift development and deployment of AI technology. The report also references this AI-Risk framework published by NIST. (Source: NIST)

Netflix Gains On its Anti-Sharing Strategy

Netflix's is benefitting remarkably from the shift towards an 'anti-sharing' economy. During a recent period, the streaming giant experienced a significant surge in new sign-ups, averaging 73,000 daily—a 102 percent increase compared to their previous 60-day average. Remarkably, Netflix added 100,000 subscribers each on May 26th and May 27th. At the same time, Netflix's recent policy change limiting password sharing outside individual households is significantly altering dynamics among families and friends who previously relied on shared subscriptions. While this strategy has boosted the company's sign-ups and revenues, it raises questions about the social and relationship impacts of such business decisions. This shift towards an 'anti-sharing' economy is causing what some users describe as 'breakup talks', disrupting established patterns of digital sharing and challenging relational norms. Although this move is aligned with Netflix's commercial goals, it sparks a discussion about the role companies should play in shaping societal behaviors and norms, highlighting the need for an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) perspective in policy decisions. As we see companies making choices that prioritize economic gain over social dynamics, it's essential to consider the broader implications and the role business should play in fostering or disrupting social connections. (Source: TheVerge, WSJ)

Titan Disaster: A Governance, Risk, Compliance Tragedy

OceanGate's Titan submersible incident has starkly underscored the importance of rigorous internal controls, adherence to governance risk, and compliance for businesses. Despite the repeated warnings about Titan's safety by a prominent deep sea exploration expert, the company's CEO, Stockton Rush, overlooked these critical insights in his pursuit of innovation and market dominance. The tragic consequences were not only fatal to him and four other passengers but also posed severe risks to the broader industry. Critics argue that these calamities were preventable had OceanGate prioritized safety certification and independent validation before operating commercially. Rush's dismissal of such safety precautions—viewing them as barriers to innovation—reflects a dangerous misapprehension that can jeopardize both human life and the reputation of an industry. In the wake of this tragedy, the importance of sound internal controls, risk management, and compliance with accepted standards is clearer than ever. (source: BBC)

Author: Malik Datardina, CPA, CA, CISA. Malik works at Auvenir as a GRC Strategist that is working to transform the engagement experience for accounting firms and their clients. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent UWCISA, UW, Auvenir (or its affiliates), CPA Canada or anyone else. This post was written with the assistance of an AI language model. The model provided suggestions and completions to help me write, but the final content and opinions are my own. 

Should drone inventors have thought about this risk?

Came across this article on Wall Street Journal about how the wedge-tailed eagles have turned out to be the drones worst nightmare. Here are some videos that illustrate the problem:

Being someone who works on innovation as the GRC Strategist - risk is something that I think about daily. Of course, you need need to be prudent and make sure that you've documented. All the known risks and have a plan and how to mitigate them.  For example, you should patch your software when the vendor tells you there is an issue.

But how could drone inventors possibly think about the risk formula about the impact and likelihood of eagles tearing up your drone?

It's a good illustration of how innovation requires taking risks of which you will only encounter when actually deploying innovation into the real world. They're just some things that literally will fall out of the sky that you didn't think of and a workaround will need to be designed after the fact.

Author: Malik Datardina, CPA, CA, CISA. Malik works at Auvenir as a GRC Strategist that is working to transform the engagement experience for accounting firms and their clients. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent UWCISA, UW, Auvenir (or its affiliates), CPA Canada or anyone else