Paul Welty, PhD WORK, BEING, AND STAYING HUMAN

Polymathic

Essays, notes, and experiments — mostly about work, AI, and how to be a better human in the middle of all of it.

Bookmark: DeepSeek: The Chinese AI Startup Reshaping The U.S. Tech Industry

“DeepSeek’s emergence has far-reaching implications for the AI landscape, particularly due to its open-source nature and its potential to reshape how we think about AI development”> DeepSeek: The Chinese AI Startup Reshaping The U.S. Tech Industry

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup backed by High-Flyer hedge fund, has recently drawn attention by claiming it can outperform leading AI models with its large language model, DeepSeek R1. By using Nvidia H800 GPUs, which are less advanced than Nvidia’s flagship H100 chips, DeepSeek developed this model at a fraction of typical …

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Enterprises are hitting a ‘speed limit’ in deploying Gen AI - here’s why

Deloitte’s report reveals that enterprises face challenges in deploying generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) due to regulatory uncertainties and risk management concerns. Over two-thirds of executives noted that less than one-third of Gen AI projects would scale within six months. Regulatory compliance remains the main hurdle, with 38% of respondents identifying it as a barrier—a rise from 28% the previous year. Despite rapid technological advancements, organizational changes lag behind. …

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Labor Unions at the Crossroads: AI's Transformative Potential and the Struggle for Worker Empowerment

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged not only as a technological marvel but also as a transformative force reshaping industries, redefining workforce dynamics, and compelling critical scrutiny of labor practices. As AI technologies advance, the workplace stands at the precipice of fundamental change, fostering both innovation and anxiety about job security. In this multifaceted discourse, labor unions have positioned themselves as crucial stakeholders, advocating for equitable technology integration that respects worker rights and promotes collaborative progress. This …

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Bookmark: Frustrated with today’s ‘attention economy’? You’re really going to hate what comes next

The concept of the “intention economy” refers to a digital market where companies prioritize predicting and monetizing individuals’ future behaviors and decisions rather than simply capturing their current attention. This emerging economic model is driven largely by advancements in AI, particularly through the deployment of AI chatbots and large language models (LLMs). These technologies gather and analyze user data to discern patterns, motivations, and potential actions, which are then commodified. The “attention economy,” by contrast, focuses on captivating … read more >

Article analysis: Unlocking autonomous agent capabilities with Microsoft Copilot Studio

“Copilot is your personal, private assistant that works solely for you, enhancing your capabilities. And agents are expert systems that operate autonomously on behalf of a process or company.”

Unlocking autonomous agent capabilities with Microsoft Copilot Studio

Summary

The article titled “Unlocking Autonomous Agent Capabilities with Microsoft Copilot Studio” highlights the introduction of new functionalities for building autonomous agents, set to launch in public preview at Microsoft Ignite 2024. These agents, as noted, are designed to comprehend the intricacies of …

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“Triumphs in our careers are often the result of engagement, not the constant pursuit of immediate happiness.”
A psychologist explains what Gen Z should be striving for at work (hint: not happiness)

The pursuit of happiness in the workplace can be misleading for Gen Z employees entering the workforce. While happiness is often seen as equivalent to engagement, the two concepts differ significantly. Happiness, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is a fleeting emotion, whereas engagement represents a more stable and enduring state. Organizations emphasize …

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Here’s a notable quote from the article: “AI at scale is a significant organizational change that must be managed and starts with ongoing investments in AI literacy and workforce readiness.” This underscores the transformative impact of AI on business operations.
From Proof Of Concept To Production: Embracing Systems Thinking

The article, “Flexible Work Can’t Replace The Office—But Here’s How To Make It Work,” discusses the challenges enterprises face in fully implementing generative AI (GenAI) beyond the proof-of-concept phase. Despite its transformative …

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Bookmark: HubSpot’s SEO collapse: What went wrong and why?

One striking quote from the article is: “The hubspot SEO decline is a great example of hitting critical mass of content relevance.” This reflects the shift in digital strategies towards prioritizing content authenticity and expertise over sheer volume. HubSpot’s SEO collapse: What went wrong and why?

HubSpot’s sharp decline in SEO performance, marked by a drop in organic traffic from 13.5 million to 8.6 million, is a significant topic within the SEO community. This reduction is primarily attributed to Google’s algorithm updates, which may have penalized content …

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Bookmark: Marc Benioff says that from now on CEOs will no longer lead all-human workforces—enter the new era of AI coworkers

“From this point forward…we will be managing not only human workers but also digital workers.”
Marc Benioff says that from now on CEOs will no longer lead all-human workforces—enter the new era of AI coworkers

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, emphasized a pivotal shift in workforce dynamics, where CEOs will lead teams comprising both humans and AI agents. Benioff highlighted that these ‘digital workers’, or AI agents, are designed to undertake complex and time-intensive tasks, thereby enabling human employees to focus on more …

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AI's Dual Role: Redefining Canadian Workforce Skills and Enhancing Human Potential

“The transformative power of AI in the workforce necessitates a shift toward roles that enhance human capabilities rather than simply automate tasks.” AI’s Dual Role: Redefining Canadian Workforce Skills and Enhancing Human Potential

The document explores the concept of “Right Brain, Left Brain, AI Brain,” focusing on the ways artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the Canadian workforce, particularly in terms of job dynamics and demanded skills as of January 2025. It delves into how AI impacts both cognitive processes typically associated with the right and …

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