‘If data is diverse and representative enough then I would love for technology to be smarter than humans’

What's your job and how does it involve AI?

I talk to various companies from different industries, my job is to detect within the first contact points where they have pain points, and where they might have relevant data and then it's all about finding use cases.

What's the craziest thing about AI you've heard so far?

I am still fascinated in general when AI comes to conclusions that are not really traceable or understandable for its developers anymore. Still, they somehow also make sense. In the field of LLM we have this - it is called "Emergent abilities" which is when something arises spontaneously from complex interactions of simpler components. This means that sometimes the model behaves unexpectedly and generates i.e. a text in a way that it was not explicitly trained to do so.

How much time do you approximately save daily by using AI tools?

3 hours

Do you prefer: ChatGPT or Bard?

In general, I would prefer Open Source models where we have more control over our data. With closed LLM there are many dependencies and uncertainties on the respective provider.

Which AI tool do you personally use the most?

Quite a boring answer, but: Probably the ones on my phone while using Google Maps or Social Media. But also in my job, it helps a lot by reducing a lot of research and repetitive tasks, since AI often gives me suggestions or recommendations.

What area should AI enthusiasts keep an eye on in the near future?

The field of LLM is most likely the one that will have the biggest impact on many areas. We are just at the beginning of the curve and we see that new research is being published in this field every day. So I am very curious about where things will be in the future and how this will change our lives in different areas.

Love or hate: Technology smarter than humans aka AGI?

Technology is only as smart as the data you feed it... which is highly dependent on the humans setting up data sets and feeding AI with it. If data is diverse and representative enough then I would love for technology to be smarter than humans. But probably it's only smarter on a rational level. Emotional intelligence is something that in my opinion will not be learned by a General AI - unless we find ways to teach technology even this.

Do you believe AI will bring a bigger technological revolution than the internet?

Many studies and experts say that it will bring a bigger technological revolution. I'm not sure if I can even come close to imagine what kind of impact it will have in the future. Right now we are at the very beginning of its potential but in the future this might change how we see and define work. It can cause people needing to define themselves - which might cause a certain struggle but it can also come with big opportunities. It makes us think about resiliency again and requires us to react and adapt. So let's see, I'm looking forward to see where things will be going!

Is AI more of a chance or a challenge for humanity?

Both. I see it as a huge chance if we make the most out of it and tackle problems we are already seeing early enough. Problems like data bias, the ecological impact of running AI and also problems we have in countries that won't benefit from technological enhancements - which will especially affect women working in countries from the Global South and where there is the risk of simply not caring for more just work and life conditions. In the end it's again all about what we as a society make out of it. Will the replacement of people just increase poverty or will the focus then shift to creating an environment that ensures human life under good conditions?

As always, nothing just comes with benefits - there's always a flip side, but it's all about how we handle it in the end.