Think Seriously: Ex Google CEO Eric Schmidt says “We need to seriously think about unplugging AI.” I want to be clear that Schmidt is not suggesting we shut down AI right now. Rather, he is making the case that society must put in place stringent safeguards that will allow society to shut down AI if necessary. The problem as Schmidt (and others) see it is that AI may soon have the ability to self-improve. In its quest for “self-improvement,” AI could theoretically take actions that are detrimental to humanity. The probability of this happening is low–or as AI experts like to say “there is a non-zero chance” of AI destroying humanity–but, as I argued in the Minneapolis Star Tribune last year, we must regulate AI as though humanity’s future depends upon it because IT DOES!
Think Different: Last week, I shared my annual article on the top trends impacting farmers and agriculture in 2025. This week, I’d like to share this article, “Growing Corn in the Desert. No Irrigation Required.” I do so not because I believe every farmer can grow corn in the same manner as the Hopi Indians. Instead, I share it because I want farmers to understand there is still a great deal of wisdom in the old, traditional ways of farming. Personally, I am all in favor of the modern technologies I outlined in the first article, however I also understand we cannot, as a society, afford to “throw the baby out with bath water.”
Think Again: An AI model has deciphered the language of plants. For those in the agriculture industry, the ability to better understand the hidden DNA and RNA languages in nature and plants could lead to major advancements in plant science and crop improvement.
Think Harder: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Will Now Respond to Video Feeds in Real Time. How we are about to interact with AI as well as the real physical world is about to change. I don’t yet have a clear understanding of what this means (I’m not sure anybody does), but it is something that all of us in business must begin thinking about long and hard. For instance, if I can simply point my camera at the inside of my refrigerator and have it tell me what recipes I can make from the contents inside, the process of how I cook my nightly meals may change. More ominously, when stores can turn their cameras on strangers and learn who that person is–and what their interests or shopping habits are–the downside of this technology becomes more apparent. We are entering a “brave new world” and we must all contemplate how we want to interact with this new, emerging world.
Heart-Centered Thinking: Seth Godin has an interesting post this week titled “If they know, they should tell us.” I encourage you to give it a read (it’ll take less than a minute). Here’s a quick overview: Companies often keep information secret against the communal good, but history shows that well-regulated industries and companies whom consumers trust leads to higher profits. I remain convinced that consumers will continue to gravitate towards B Corps. In the past week alone (while doing some Holiday shopping), I noticed that both Maker’s Mark (the bourbon maker) and Athleta (a retail outlet for women’s “athletic wear”) are both B Corps.
Afterthought: “Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives.”–Rudolph Steiner
