Gen AI: Feed Me Your Data

Feed me your data

Is generative AI technology the true danger or is it the gamification of mass data collection?

The Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy musical about a nerdy florist named Seymour Krelborn who discovers a strange and unusual plant. The plant, which he names Audrey Jr. after his co-worker and love interest, Audrey Fulquard, has an insatiable appetite for human blood. At first, Seymour is reluctant to feed Audrey Jr. human blood, but he eventually gives in when he realizes that the plant is making the flower shop a success. Audrey Jr. grows rapidly and becomes a local celebrity, attracting customers and media attention. Seymour’s newfound success comes at a price, however. Audrey Jr. demands more and more blood, and Seymour is forced to kill people in order to feed the plant. He also begins to lose control of Audrey Jr., which becomes increasingly aggressive and dangerous. In the end, Seymour is forced to confront Audrey Jr. and destroy it. He saves Audrey from the plant, but he is ultimately consumed by it himself.

(synopsis via Bard, because why not?)

My Kind of Leadership

I got away with… everything, under the last boss, and it wasn’t good for me, at all. So, I want guidance. I want leadership. But don’t just, like, boss me around, you know? Like, lead me. Lead me… when I’m in the mood… to be led.

~Ryan Howard, The Office (US), Season 7, Episode 25, “Search Committee”

In Remembrance of DEG

Having wrapped up my decade-long career at DEG, I’m trying to focus on the moment, but I can’t help but look back with fondness on a few things.

How can leaders learn empathy?

[…] maximizing shareholder value […] where we prioritize the wants, needs, and desires of an external constituency over our own customers and our own employees. That’s like asking a coach who’s trying to build a good team what the fans want rather than what the players need. That’s the standard of business today. […] We need to reject that. […] It no longer works. […] We need to build empathetic leaders. We need to build leaders who understand that their responsibility is a human job. We don’t sit behind desks and lead a company from spreadsheets. We cannot. Because as we’ve seen it creates discontent inside our companies.