Knowledge to support your journey and the decisions to be made along the way.
Evolution: Homo Technologicus Waits for No One!
Among species we humans are endowed with remarkable gifts, capable of adapting like no other, shaping our world and future for all others.
With these gifts we also seem to create challenges, traps and puzzles that must be solved to overcome the evolutionary challenges of the environment that we are creating. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) progressing so swiftly, we are confronted with a reflection of our identities visible in the product of the technology that we’ve created.
Our understanding of human capacity has progressed well beyond the anthropology we study and is no longer constrained by historical precedence. We are now capable of leaping beyond the limitations of our intellect through modern technology. It's time to accept that we are no longer homo sapiens nor just progenitors of a new human sub species.
The theory has been contemplated for quite some time for what we may become, now we must grapple with the reality of what we have become. The classification of homo technologicus has circulated as a specific way of establishing modern humanity as being distinctively different from our ancestors, albeit a relatively recent distinction. It’s quite evident by the ways we are dependent on technology for communication, social interactions, livelihoods, economies, security and now more than ever reasoning.
We’ve crossed the threshold but in so many ways continue to behave as if technology is separate and apart from ourselves. As an integrated characteristic of what we are and consume, it’s time to take a more critical look at our dependencies with greater seriousness, just as we must take responsibility for our own well-being in our environment, nutrition, health, and personal development.
While there will always be room for amusement as technology evolves with us, we too must evolve as individuals by devoting individual time and effort to develop to become the best version of homo technologicus we deserve to be!
AI Legislation Status
Legislation continues to develop for local, national and international bodies, and is expected to continuously evolve as AI capabilities become more sophisticated.
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AI Training Act (11/13/2024) - Focuses on training federal employees about AI.
AI and Autonomous Systems Act (8/13/2024) - Regulates AI in autonomous vehicles and critical infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence Development and Data Protection Act (7/14/2024) - Comprehensive AI regulation focusing on innovation and data protection.
AI Governance Guidelines (6/15/2024) - Voluntary guidelines for AI transparency, safety and privacy.
Consumer Protections in Interactions with Artificial Intelligence (6/8/2024) - Provides a risk-based AI regulatory framework similar to the EU AI Act.
Artificial Intelligence Amendments (5/16/2024) - AI-focused consumer protection bill including disclosure obligations for generative AI interactions.
AI and Privacy Act (5/16/2024) - Regulates AI's impact on privacy and transparency.
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EU AI Act (6/19/2024) - Comprehensive regulation of AI systems based on risk levels.
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UN AI Advisory Board Recommendations (10/13/2024) - Aims to create global agreements on AI governance. While recommendations were released September 19th they are still in discussions and subjects during the Summit for the Future held in September.
SEC's Proposed AI Rules (8/12/2024) - Addresses conflicts of interest in the use of AI by broker-dealers and investment advisers.
AI Began Long Before LLMs
While we take for granted today’s intelligent technology, their roots began long ago. For example, Rene Descartes in the 1637 essay "Discourse on the Method," discussed the possibility of machines mimicking human behavior. Here are more recent accomplishments.
AI Opportunities and Complementing Skills/Functions
There are many opportunities to leverage AI to improve products, services and the ways we work. The following AI Opportunities are common across industries and require individuals to apply specific complementing skills and knowledge to employ this technology effectively.
Test Your Skills
Here’s a little exercise of situations you may encounter in your normal day to apply the required skills.
[Click on the answer.]