Data is overrated and useless

Good morning, 🚀Welcome to Tech Flavor – the newsletter where dry, bland updates get a '404 Error'! Brought to you by Techery, this isn't just another tech digest.
Buckle up for a ride through tech's future, health's next big thing, and whatever else we find amusing or astonishing. Let's redefine 'executive summary'! 😎📚💥

 Digital Transformation Progress Indicator

• Moderate cloud computing adoption rate among EU enterprises.

• Substantial impact of AI, particularly LLMs, on workforce tasks.

• Strong growth and high market value in the enterprise IoT sector.

• Active initiatives in workforce digital skill development.

NEXT IN AI
Is AI for Enterprise a DIY project?

In the AI world, Google researchers recently showcased ChatGPT's unexpected talent for data leaks, making it the tech community's latest gossip. By repeating specific prompts, they managed to extract private data from its training contents - a scenario straight out of a cyber-thriller!

This incident raises a critical flag for enterprises considering AI: the importance of going local with Large Language Models (LLMs). Establishing local LLMs isn’t just a tech flex; it’s a strategic shift towards data sovereignty and security. Imagine creating an AI system that's exclusively yours, trained on your data, under your control.

Initiating a local AI operation involves specific, deliberate steps. Begin by acquiring specialized hardware like NVIDIA’s DGX systems or custom-built servers equipped with GPUs that cater to intensive AI tasks.
Next, tap into open-source AI models – consider options like GPT-Neo or BERT, which offer a solid starting point. Customize these models with your proprietary data, refining them to align with your specific business context.

The result is a powerful, in-house AI tool, fine-tuned for your enterprise's unique demands, ensuring data stays where it belongs – under your roof. 🛡️💼🌐

ALEX’S TAKE
Data is Overrated and Useless?

There must be a reason why teen apps like “Gas” are blowing up. And perhaps the enterprise digital products could learn a thing or two from them. Let me challenge the notion “data is king” as we have probably been thinking about the data-driven products wrong.

FUTURE OF TECH
Brain decoder is here!

Imagine a world where your thoughts are no longer just yours. Well, technically, our thoughts are recycled thoughts of other people. But that’s not the point. You see, some very smart people at the University of Texas and Meta are turning “The Minority Report” movie into a reality.

Researchers at UT Austin have developed a mind-reading AI that translates brain scans into text.

Yes. It’s real. It’s like they’ve crafted a 'semantic decoder' – a device that converts brain activity into understandable language. This breakthrough isn't just cool; it's life-altering, especially for those who can't communicate due to illness or injury.

But wait, there's more! Meta's also joined this mind-reading league. They've created an AI system that predicts what a person is looking at, just by analyzing brain waves. And yes, they're doing this in real-time!

While this tech marvel brings hope for many, it also stirs a cauldron of privacy concerns. Imagine a world where every thought could potentially be on display. It’s a tightrope walk between groundbreaking aid and an Orwellian nightmare.

However, I can already picture how your CMO is going crazy trying to force the IT to integrate this technology at scale :)

THIS MADE US LAUGH

Try to tell me you don’t have those people in your life 🤣🤣

📚THIS WEEK’S BOOK
"Tribe" by Sebastian Junger: A crash course in why your office might need less WiFi and more campfires. Junger delves into our longing for communal bonds, contrasting tribal camaraderie with modern solitude. It challenges readers to reflect on the price of modernity's comforts and the deep human need for belonging and shared purpose.
A thought-provoking read for execs, it subtly hints that team-building might need fewer PowerPoint slides and more shared adventures.

🎧THIS WEEK’S TUNE
My 7 year-old son can’t get enough of the new Green Day’s single “The American Dream is Killing Me”, so here you go - it’s definitely the tune of the week in my car on the way to and from school.

FUTURE OF HEALTH
Meditation does what?

Today, as I gazed out the window, a trio of spry older ladies, chuckling over dad jokes and sipping celery juice, sauntered towards the neighborhood yoga studio. For a second, I wondered if I'd time-traveled to 2063 where classic LA yoga enthusiasts are the new septuagenarians.

But no, it's still 2023, and a recent University College London study is turning heads, not just for its style but for its substance, revealing that meditation is more than a fad – it's a life-enhancer for the older crowd.

This 18-month research journey, with over 130 participants aged 65 to 84, scrutinized meditation like it was the latest tech gadget. The findings? Meditation isn't just about feeling zen; it significantly boosts awareness, connection, and insight, transforming a calm mind into a deeply satisfied one (and here I was, thinking meditation was just for serene Instagram posts).

Yet, here's the real twist: our traditional tools for measuring well-being seem to be outdated. While meditation may not have shattered the glass ceiling in conventional well-being metrics, it excelled in enriching life's intangibles – fostering deeper gratitude and self-understanding.

The most intriguing part? Those entering the study with lower levels of well-being experienced the most significant gains, hinting that meditation could be a secret weapon for those grappling with the heavier side of life.

CURATED BY
Alex Pshenianykov
founder of Techery