The Current AI wave defines itself as a transformative era impacting all industries and everyday applications. Drawing parallels with my experiences navigating previous tech waves, such as mobile, where being mobile-ready was imperative for survival, a similar story emerges for the current AI wave.
The question I want to pose here is not just about the disruption AI itself brings, but more crucially, how it distinguishes itself from the past mobile wave, what are the most important aspects of relearning and how Gen AI will help reshape human connections and ease our digital burnout.
Riding the AI wave
In 2009, I developed one of the first geolocation mobile apps, aiming to enhance connections by connecting strangers based on shared interests. Initially viewed as a novelty, by 2024, mobile apps had become the primary medium for connecting and engaging with others. While it’s now easier to connect with like-minded individuals, we’re undeniably losing touch with the simplicity of genuine conversations with strangers.
Amidst the AI wave, we face a familiar dichotomy: the promise of deeper, more meaningful connections juxtaposed with the risk of increased social isolation due to advanced algorithms introduced by Gen AI on social media platforms. Addressing this challenge requires AI applications to prioritise genuine connections while tackling societal fragmentation through thoughtful design and implementation.
The Gen AI deal
The mobile era has undeniably brought remarkable progress, extending access to information and connection even to remote populations in Africa. However, it has also introduced significant challenges. Despite this, I am confident that Gen AI has the potential to alleviate these issues and drive transformative change.
Here are key principles to consider when designing any social system:
Peak scrolling, swiping, and zoomification
My life’s work has focused on leveraging technology to create more meaningful human connections within communities. Through GST, I organised 135 global gatherings using only WhatsApp chat groups, email, and event link RSVPs to bring people together worldwide.
However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent ‘Zoomification’ era, we now face a saturation point in technology characterised by decision fatigue and digital overwhelm.
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While we have the potential to connect with anyone across the planet, the challenge lies not just in accumulating connections but in navigating this abundance to cultivate meaningful engagements. A 2020 Pew Research Center study revealed that almost half of Americans believe dating has become more difficult in the past decade, with users of dating sites or apps reporting frustration over endless swiping, scrolling, and mundane text conversations without finding meaningful connections.
AI brings simplification
Gen AI provides a straightforward solution for reducing decision fatigue and endless scrolling and swiping. Its promise lies in streamlining our digital lives, aiding in data curation, and minimising friction points. By integrating intelligence into daily activities, Gen AI has the potential to facilitate more nuanced connections tailored to individual circumstances, personal values, missions, and goals.
Unlike mobile apps with numerous screens and buttons, Gen AI offers a simple response to a single prompt question, such as ‘Who should I talk with today?’ by incorporating all learned parameters for a personalised recommendation.
AI functions like a super-creative brain
At its core, AI’s effectiveness hinges on quality data — the fuel that powers its capabilities. However, foundational models like GPT4, Gemini, and Claude rely on the same internet data, potentially leading to similar responses. The key lies in obtaining the best data possible. While tech giants possess abundant information about individuals, it’s scattered across various online platforms, hindering its usefulness for Gen AI apps.
However, Gen AI has the potential to bridge this gap by learning from user interactions and enabling matches based on nuanced personality traits. Yet, comprehensive data on people’s character and personalities remains scarce. This highlights the critical role of data in AI. As AI continues to drive change, it prompts anyone wanting to create a Gen AI app to reevaluate data flows and create a magical, creative Gen-AI experience with meaningful data.
Make magic with Gen AI
AI is not new; it is actually very old, but the reason that we got a breakthrough with chatGPT and Gen AI is not the tech itself but the magical experience it has created for users. One interesting approach to designing Gen AI-driven products is through ‘frankersteining’ — coming up with a magical Gen AI experience and merging it with established mobile user dynamics with a proven track record. For instance, while point systems or badges have been successful in many social products, envisioning Gen AI magic that could enhance these badges opens up a world of possibilities.
Personalised connections for problem-solving
Now, using these principles, I launched Agent-A to create communities with Gen AI. Our focus is on creating personalised matches between professionals and forming communities, starting in South Asia and Southeast Asia, that align with individuals’ personalities and skills.
Agent-A acts as a personal AI matchmaker, utilising advanced Gen AI frameworks to connect professionals facing similar industry challenges. Moreover, it breaks language barriers, understanding over 100 languages for accurate matches across cultures.
Also Read: What will the third-wave of artificial intelligence look like?
As we accumulate data, Agent-A will create collective matches based on skills, personality traits, and shared problem-solving interests. It automatically connects individuals, facilitates real-life meetings, and executes events or meetups without the need for organisers. This represents the future of collaborative problem-solving, revolutionising how people come together to tackle challenges.
Gen AI everywhere
Traditional mobile apps and information systems pale in comparison to the capabilities of Generative AI. Large Language Models (LLMs) excel at inferring responses based on prompts and probabilities. However, as AI continues to evolve, it is poised to revolutionise every aspect of our lives by achieving higher levels of reasoning and self-awareness.
In the near future, AI will be ubiquitous and seamlessly integrated into every information system and hardware device. Data will flow effortlessly between these systems, serving as AI’s lifeblood to continuously learn and enhance response accuracy.
AI will evolve into a highly dynamic entity, akin to biological systems, capable of adaptation and learning. Individuals will train their personal AI to understand preferences better and shield against persuasive AI influencing decision-making processes.
Understanding our future necessitates viewing human existence as a collective of information processing systems, much like cells receiving signals, integrating information, and coordinating responses. Think of a future where you will prompt, and it will create the most magical result and, in probability, the best suggestion ever made at the moment in time.
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This article was first published on March 21, 2024
The post From peak scrolling to personalised communities: The Gen AI solution appeared first on e27.