ELECTRICITY AND AI: A TALE OF TWO DISCOVERIES

 

“AI is the new electricity.” (Andrew Ng, Founder and CEO of Landing AI)

What do a great musician and a great entrepreneur have in common? They are both great innovators who have changed the world with their creativity and vision. They are both leaders in their respective fields of entertainment and technology. They are both admired and respected by millions of people around the globe.

But they also share something else: quiet and unseen powers that have enabled and empowered their success. Powers that are so all-around and essential that we often take them for granted.

THE QUIET AND UNSEEN POWER BEHIND THE GREAT MUSICIAN

Standing on the stage, holding his guitar in his hands, he felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he heard the roar of the crowd. He was Paul McCartney, one of the most famous and influential musicians of all time. He had risen to fame as a member of the Beatles, the iconic band that revolutionized rock and roll in the 1960s. Yesterday, Hey Jude, and Let It Be are some of the most memorable songs in history he had written and sung.

Embarking on a solo career spanning decades and genres, he experimented with different styles of music – pop, rock, disco, and even classical. With his new band Wings, featuring his wife Linda on keyboards and vocals, he produced hit songs like Band on the Run and Live and Let Die.

Unlike his countless performance before, this was different – his first solo concert in the U.S. after the Beatles broke up. Wanting to prove himself by showing the world that he still had it, he felt nervous but also excited.

Playing the piano in his song, Maybe I’m Amazed, he filled the arena with his dramatic tenor voice amidst the clear music of his band. The crowd sang along. Smiling, he felt a surge of confidence. He was doing it. He was rocking the stage.

But McCartney was not performing alone. Behind him, behind the curtains, behind the walls, there was a quiet and unseen power that made it all possible – electricity. Electricity that powered his piano, his guitar, his microphone, his speakers, his lights. Electricity that allowed him to create various effects and sounds with pedals and synthesizers. Electricity that illuminated the stage with colorful lights. Electricity that connected him to the audience through video screens and cameras. Electricity that recorded his performance for posterity and broadcast to millions of viewers.

At that concert, without electricity, McCartney would be less than he was. He would be a man playing the silent piano and singing mutely in the dark. He would be as still as a statue and as quiet as a whisper.

I am not sure if McCartney knew, appreciated, and respected that reality. Maybe, the following lyrics of his song could drop a hint on what’s in his mind, if he’s referring to the theme of electricity:

Maybe, I’m amazed at the way you’re with me all the time

And maybe I’m afraid of the way I leave you

Maybe, I’m amazed at the way you help me sing my song

You right me when I’m wrong

Maybe, I’m amazed at the way I really need you.

THE QUIET AND UNSEEN POWER BEHIND THE GREAT ENTREPRENEUR

Driving on the road, holding his steering wheel in his hands, he felt a thrill of adventure as he saw the speedometer on his dashboard. He was Elon Musk, I imagine, who himself tested a Tesla, the revolutionary mobility system he developed and championed that could provide autonomous driving.

One of the most visionary and influential entrepreneurs of all time, he founded and led several groundbreaking companies, such as PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink. He created and launched some of the most innovative products and services in history, such as online payments, reusable rockets, electric cars, and brain-computer interfaces. He had also invested in various fields of science and technology, such as biotechnology, and renewable energy.

Embarking on a new journey that was unlike anything he had driven before, he drove the car to explore and enjoy the world.  Looking sleek and stylish, like a sports car from the future, the car could run on batteries and solar power.

The car accelerated smoothly and quietly. Cruising on the road, he felt no jerks or noises, only a gentle breeze in his hair. He looked out the window and saw the scenery passing by – mountains, valleys, fields, cities. He could also see other Tesla cars driving along with him in harmony. It was incredible.

But Musk was not driving alone. Around him, around his car, around the road, there was a quiet and unseen power that made it all possible – AI. AI that powered the car’s battery, motor, sensors, and software. AI that powered the dashboard screen and speedometer. AI that controlled the steering, braking, acceleration, and navigation. AI that connected him to other Tesla cars through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, collision avoidance, platooning, and charging. AI that enhanced his journey through entertainment, information, comfort, and safety.

In that journey, without AI, a Tesla car would be nothing. It would be like a car in a junkyard as silent as a grave and as inanimate as a rock.

I am not sure if Musk knew, appreciated, and respected that reality. Maybe, his following quote could drop a hint at what’s in his mind:

“AI will be the best or worst thing ever for humanity.”

So far, his Tesla car has shown the prospect of the best thing ever for humanity. How about the worst? Let me share this following story again (cited in my previous ATABAY article ChatGPT: Threat or Opportunity?).

A smart kid decided in taking on the wise old man in the village with a question he’s cocksure the old man would be unable to answer correctly. Holding a little bird cupped in his hands behind his back, he asked the old man, ”Is the bird in my hands, alive or dead?” If the old man said the bird was alive, the boy would crush the bird with his hands. If the old man said it was dead, the boy would open his hands and let the bird fly.

The wise old man said, “The answer is in your hands.”

Let me go back to the question: What’s the worst thing will AI be ever for humanity? The answer is in our hands.

Content of this article put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered copilot

Head collage photos courtesy of Billboard, tech25sdotcom, Shutterstock, blogdotgoodaudiencedotcom, & Can Stock photos

Video clips courtesy of YouTube