WILL CHATGPT KILL WRITING?

Since the advent of ChatGPT as a potentially game changing tool,  a lot has been written on how it might kill content creation as we know it. After using ChatGPT for a few weeks, I got to observe its enormous potential to revolutionize the expression of creativity, particularly in the realm of writing &, at the same time, also got exposed to some of its shortcomings.

Two recent news items (link in comments) that caught my attention were-
First, NYC bans the ChatGPT in schools amid fears of a new cheating threat & Second, rather ironically, Top AI conference bans use of ChatGPT and AI language tools to write academic papers.

Whenever I read about resistance to adoption of new technology, I am reminded of the evolution that the sport of Chess has seen in the last 2-3 decades. Gary Kasparov outlines this beautifully in his book- Deep Thinking.

In the mid 80s, Gary took on the computers and beat them easily. Computers continued to become better and by 1997 Gary was beaten by IBM supercomputer- Deep Blue. It raised fears in the minds of Chess traditionalists that technology will eat their sport. Fast forward to today, most modern players (including Magnus Carlsen) use computers to get better at their game. The growing popularity of Chess.com (2022 numbers: 100 million members, ~$100 million revenue) validates the role technology is playing in the evolution of chess.

Will Generative AI tech like ChatGPT also evolve from ‘Human vs machine’ battle to ‘Human with machine’ synergy? If the evolution of chess is any indication to go by, this journey might happen sooner than later for writing too.

I tested this hypothesis with a writing framework that I often use.

My sketchnote here talks about the MACJ framework adapted from the book- “HBR Guide to Better Business Writing”. In my experiments, I found the role ChatGPT played varied in each of the listed phases-

-Madman phase: You are the initiator of ideas but feeding in the right prompts to ChatGPT can help generate ideas at scale. You can then curate the ideas

-Architect phase: ChatGPT can augment your efforts in suggesting an outline but being a tool it will not know your context perfectly

-Carpenter phase: ChatGPT can help with weaving the words. But again, the words have no meaning without context. You need to shape the writing

-Judge phase: You own the edit phase. Humans will do a better job in ensuring context alignment

Based on these experiments, I would argue- ChatGPT (as it improves in the future versions) can become an extended brain but it won't replace your brain.

What do you think?

Final thought, I quite liked Paul Graham's recent tweet-
“If AI saves people from having to write, it will also save them from having the ideas that writing engenders.”

The role of writing goes beyond it being a medium of expression, it is a thinking tool that will continue to evolve and AI tools like ChatGPT will play a role in extending human skills. hashtag#chatgpt

LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anujmagazine_chatgpt-activity-7019115229141762048--Tj8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Happy New Year 2024

 For a happy and prosperous new year 2024, just try and forget about 2 things:

2023

and

2025

Stay in present and enjoy the moments rather than think in years.

Wishing all of you a happy and successful new year, month, day and the next moment.

LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7147412938692124672/

THE FIVE LAWS OF CYBERSECURITY

 he Mirai virus was a malicious piece of software that was first discovered in 2016. It was designed to target Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as routers, smart cameras, and smart thermostats, and was able to compromise these devices by exploiting vulnerabilities in their software. Once it had infected a device, Mirai would use it to participate in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

The damage caused by Mirai was significant. For instance, Mirai’s first large-scale attack was in September 2016 against a French technology company, OVH. Mirai’s attack peaked at an unprecedented 1Tbps and is estimated to have used about 145,000 devices within the assault. (source: https://lnkd.in/gEu8sfzh.)

Mirai virus is an example of one of the cybersecurity laws-"With Innovation Comes Opportunity For Exploitation" that Nick Espionosa talks about in his TED talk-"The five laws of cybersecurity".

One thing that stood out to me in this TED Talk was the idea that there is a lack of a shared understanding of cybersecurity within internet culture. Nick argues that with over 3.6 billion people online and communicating with each other and institutions every day, there is a common language that we all share through networking protocols and social media platforms. However, the topic of cybersecurity is not as widely understood as it should be. In his TED Talk, Nick tries to bridge this gap by introducing his five laws. This talk highlights the importance of increasing awareness and education about cybersecurity in order to better protect ourselves and our communities online.

Do catch the summary of these laws in my sketchnote and watch the TED talk (~7 min)- https://lnkd.in/gi-s5srN hashtag#cyberawareness hashtag#cybersecurity

LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7017106573596512256/

WHAT ARE TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES (TTPs) IN CYBER SECURITY?

 The recently concluded FIFA World Cup had almost everyone completely mesmerized. In the semi-finals, the eventual champions- Argentina beat Croatia 3-0. What was distinct about this match was that all three goals were scored via unique attacking mechanisms. The first one was via a penalty kick. The second one was via a high quality dribbling play all the way from midfield. The third one was an exceptional display of ball handling skills near the opponent's goal.

Like in soccer, in cybersecurity too, an attacker applies a range of approaches to outmaneuver the organization's defense, exploit vulnerabilities, evade detection, and access sensitive information.

If you have to stay ahead of the attackers, you need to build mechanisms to get insights into adversary attack behaviors and how specific attacks are orchestrated. This allows you to better respond to, and mitigate, current and future threats.

This is exactly how tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) helps the cyber security teams.

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THE MENTAL GAME OF STARTING OVER

 I recently completed the Bengaluru Full marathon (42.195 km). It was an honor to run in all 10 editions of the prestigious run.

While finishing is an important aspect, the lure for running really goes much beyond that, something the legendary ultra-runner Dean Karnazes so succinctly put in one of his books.

Here it goes-

"Running always leaves you better than when you started. No matter how temporarily bruised your body is at the end of the run, it's the spirit that's uplifted. Running great distances is a release, it's an outlet to what's brewing inside the mind - good or bad. Simplicity of running is quite liberating. Things don't bring happiness, challenging experiences certainly do."

The route of the Bengaluru marathon included 2 loops - 21.1 km around the city. Having multiple loops during the course of a marathon is quite a normal thing as it makes organizing the running events efficient and manageable.

One thing that I realized while on the course of the run this time was a unique challenge the run with multiple loops presents to the runner. With all the hard running and enthusiasm, I managed to complete the first loop (21.1 km) only to find out that I was at the beginning of where it all started (the start point of the race). The very fact that instead of seeing a finish line, you get to a sort of start point during the run can really be disheartening and can potentially wear one down with a feeling that nothing much has been achieved despite all the slogging done for hours. This is for sure a false notion, which our bodies are mindful of but our minds often need the slightest of excuse to start getting distracted and dictate the terms based on the newer paradigms.

So how did I get through it? Here are a couple of strategies that helped me:

1. Stay-in-the-Present:

Re-tune your mind to stay in the present, and focus on the next step, and the next and so on till the run finishes. I learned this cue from Geet Sethi’s book “Success vs Joy” where he shares, "Concentration is simply the intellect supervising the mind to remain in the present."

2. Mental Contrasting:

This technique, which I learned from Barbara Oakley's Coursera course on learning, involves contrasting your current state with your desired outcome. But here's the twist: Don't just visualize the finish line. Also, remind yourself of the sweat and fatigue you're experiencing now. It helps to balance optimism with a dose of reality, making your goals feel more attainable and relatable.

In both marathons and life, it's the 'mental loops'—those repetitive thought patterns and emotional cycles that can either hinder us or propel us forward—that often pose the most significant challenges. Yet, it's precisely within these cycles of thought and feeling that we discover opportunities for growth and self-improvement.

How do you cope with having to start all over again in different areas of your life?