It’s just not very evenly distributed ..
This thought-provoking quote by William Gibson has been on my mind recently. The frantic pace of AI development contrasts sharply with the casual indifference of friends and family who do not care about cutting-edge technology.
Most people outside the tech community may have heard about ChatGPT, LLMs, or other “autonomous” technology in passing.
However, we will increasingly see these worlds intersect. Take, for example, this amusing video of a San Francisco police officer attempting to reason with a wayward Waymo car.
The cop steps before the slow-moving vehicle, commanding it to stop and stay like an errant puppy. He then lights a flare in front of the car, hoping the smoke would make it stop.
The video is funny but is also a cautionary tale of the types of issues that we will face when introducing autonomous agents to the broader public.
Just like the bewildered cop, we will have to deal with users who do not understand the capabilities and limitations of new technology.
Designing effective User Interfaces and Experiences for these complex new technologies will be critical to broad and safe adoption.