Jack Uldrich’s “Friday Future 5:” April 12, 2024
Think Big: This vision for the future of regenerative agriculture was both balanced and informative. Anyone interested in farming, agriculture or our changing climate is encouraged to read the article and think about its implications.
Think Again: Generative AI is now being used to create “synthetic memories.” The motivation behind these manufactured memories is well-intentioned but I fear the idea of manufacturing photos of scenes or memories which only exist in people’s minds can and will be used by people and organizations with less well intentioned motives and goals. This idea strikes me as a very slippery slope.
Think Harder: This article is now two years old but it offers excellent advice for how not to share the misinformation and disinformation that will likely hit us in droves this election year. The article mentions the acronym “SIFT” which stands for Stop, Investigate, Find (alternative news sources), and Trace (the story back to its original source) as one way to hit the “pause” button on resending and reshaping any dubious news. My advice: Think long and hard about resharing any story you find on the Internet or social media this election year.
Think Twice: Europe’s highest human rights court ruled this week that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change. The decision may have a big impact on governments and businesses in Europe and, ultimately, the United States. As one legal expert said of the decision, “This could be a turning point.” The reason is because governments may need to begin enforcing reductions in carbon emissions in order to protect human rights. (In many ways, this decision is similar to one the courts in Montana made last year.)
Afterthought: “Every morning I awake torn between a desire to save the world and an inclination to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day. But if we forget to savor the world, what possible reason do we have for saving it? In a way, the savoring must come first.” E.B. White
P.S. Did you miss last week’s newsletter? Check it out here.
Heart-Centered Thinking: Earlier this week, I was in Louisville to deliver the Keynote to the American Association of Community Colleges. This summary nicely captures the essence of my talk–which was as much about the heart as it was about technology. It is true that the advances in technologies such as AI are simultaneously both impressive and frightening but the hidden opportunity within artificial intelligence is that it may allow us to become more human. This, however, will require many of us–myself included–to get more in touch with our hearts.