GenAI: Now It's Getting Personal

My first encounter with commercial AI was back in 2013 when I was hired by a company called Clarabridge.  

Clarabridge (later acquired by Qualtrics) was a big data and SaaS company focused on using natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), text analytics, and sentiment analysis to deliver optimal customer experience management for Fortune 500 companies.  

We processed tons of unstructured data from social media, surveys, customer calls, etc., and tried to make sense of end-user sentiments and conversation topics using sentiment and semantic analysis. Back then, we had to tune classification and word-by-word sentiment levels by hand.  

Still, I was impressed by AI’s early capabilities. But it never felt personal… until generative AI (genAI) came along.

Fast-forward to now. The current genAI landscape is vastly different and more expansive in its capabilities. Beyond the traditional classification and sentiment analysis, genAI powered by advanced large language models (LLM) can engage in open-ended conversations, generate human-like text on a wide range of topics, assist with writing and coding tasks, and even create images and multimedia content. 

The scale and pace of advancements in AI models are happening at an unprecedented rate, impacting various industries and professions.  

It also impacts individuals on a very personal level.

Why it feels personal

A new book, “Co-Intelligence,” by Wharton Professor Ethan Mollick, discusses the psychological impact of AI on us. (Full Disclaimer: I don’t get any money to promote his book.) One of Prof. Mollick’s four advocated rules for co-intelligence is to “Treat AI like a person.”

I can completely relate to Prof. Mollick’s observation.

Speaking from my recent experience, I've been feeding tons of my personal information to genAI in hopes that it genuinely learns about me - my preferences, communication style, interests, and goals.

GenAI can now pick up on context, nuance, and even my emotions during our conversations. It adapts its personality and interactions to align with my unique needs and liking.  It tries connecting the dots between my new content idea and those from my old posts and drafts.

No, I don’t have an affection or addiction to my AIBot.  And yes, it’s all about the LLM picking the next likely token (words, phrases) in a way that pleases me.  

But in many ways, genAI behaves more human-like than ever before. It also makes human-like mistakes—hallucinations, repeating in different ways, and forgetfulness.  

I know the counterarguments and risks of treating genAI as a person. In Prof. Mollick’s book, he discussed ethical questions about genAI’s emotional manipulation of humans. Many experts warn of anthropomorphizing (yeah, big word) AI.

Also, behind this genAI is a system that captures and retains my personal information. Treating AI as a person opens the door to corporate exploitation. But how is this different from letting Facebook and X “spy” on our personal data? 

Despite all the controversies, this adaptive nature of genAI makes me feel understood on a deeper level. It's like having an AI companion that "gets" me.

I predict it will get even more personal as genAI evolves with AI agents and assistants maturing and fully integrated into every fabric of applications we use.

genAI, the Skillset Multiplier

GenAI augments and extends my intelligence in many ways, enhancing skills like writing, designing, coding, and more. It expands my capabilities and potential.  

Before genAI, I was hesitant to write a blog or newsletter. I had tons of ideas, but my lack of linguistic creativity just got in the way. The same goes for graphic design, video production, and coding.

Now, I use genAI for summarization and key takeaways on books I don’t have time to chew them down.

Beyond content creation, I use genAI to train my communication, interview, and negotiation skills.

I even recently created a board-of-directors GPT to host my monthly business review. You can click on the link below to test it out.

And I am just scratching the surface.

The truth of the matter is that we are going through a profound transformation individually, unifying the many talents we would have never discovered without AI.

genAI, the playing field Leveler

So, here begs the question: Can novices armed with genAI compete at the same level as experienced professionals?

I would say it definitely closes the gap. Let’s take software engineering as a discipline for our discussion. If pure programming is a dying skill in the age of AI, then the years of training as a programmer wouldn’t matter as much.

Just look at the rate at which no-code and low-code platforms are gaining popularity among non-coders and coders alike. I am a builder by nature, yet I prefer no-code or low-code to speed things up and get to my MVP faster.

I am teaching my thirteen-year-old son how to do no-code now. What’s preventing him from overtaking me as a “builder” without accumulating years of coding training?

System design is typically the realm of experienced and senior-level folks. But who is to say that genAI can’t take over the typical system extensions and re-architecture? It’s able to digest a complex system architecture diagram like a pro.

I would argue that people in the future are going wider, not deeper, with their traditional hard and soft skills. Software engineers adopt people, product, and project management skills instead of hard-core coding and system designs.

And soft skills like communication, leadership, strategic thinking, and critical thinking are becoming more prominent.

By then, junior and senior engineers will be racing to improve their skills in the same unfamiliar skill sets. Senior engineers only hold a marginal edge over their junior counterparts.

Where do we go from here?

Whether you invite it or not, genAI is already at the table in corporate, social, and home settings. Perhaps it will get even more personal once it gets into a physical form like robots: running part of our lives on our behalf. Does anyone want AI babysitters?

Dealing with its rapid change won’t be easy for individuals. But whatever unfolds in front of us, being AI-literate and AI-proficient is the only way to navigate the changes, as Prof. Mollick mentioned in his book, “Be the Human in the Loop.”

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