HR managers as strategic planners, immersive AI worlds, no phones allowed, and honoring the cofounder of Apple. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, we’re always talking about the issues and trends that are shaping the way we learn as well as what interests each of us on the team. Read more below.
From Paperwork to Power Moves
The AI shift is coming for all of us, and this article details how HR may soon ditch the “Compliance Hall Monitor” reputation to become the strategic backbone of many businesses because of it. AI Agents will automate administrative drudgery like scheduling and policy-policing, eliminating paperwork and helping the next generation of managers evolve into “Full-Stack HR” pros. Who doesn’t want to spend less time filing forms and more time designing new, meaningful work cultures? But what’s the catch, you say? The quality of the data will determine the success of the transition. “Garbage in, garbage out” remains the undefeated law of the land. The more things change…
Letting The Genie Out Of The Bottle
Google has launched Project Genie, an experimental research prototype that lets you wish an interactive, explorable world into existence using nothing but your imagination and a text prompt. If you can dream up a setting (add an image or two to refine it, if you want), you can drop a custom character into your own personal reality and start exploring. But this isn’t just an otherworldly image or video; Genie 3 generates entire worlds in real-time as you interact. From mind-bending sci-fi simulations to 18th-century tea parties, and just maybe a combo of both, the possibilities are infinite, along with the opportunities for tailored learning solutions. You won’t want to miss: This video of players interacting with AI created worlds.
You’ll Need To Pay Extra To Get Less
Most club memberships provide access to exclusive benefits; but in 2021 a group of Dutch friends started one that restricts access to something most of us use every day. For a small fee (around $17), participants of The Offline Club surrender their phones for two hours and engage silently in ancient analog activities like coloring, reading, or puzzles. For the second hour, they have a good, old-fashioned, phone-free conversation. What we all used to call “being social,” organizers call a “gentle rebellion” against smartphone dependency. Let’s all take the reminder to reevaluate and refocus. This seems like the ultimate twist; pay your dues to put down your phone and talk to your neighbor.
Woz, The Great and Powerful
Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, was honored recently for his technical brilliance and generosity. Wozniak, who has supported education, innovation, and social causes, is also known for his joy and mischievous humor. A testament in commitment, he said of the computer that would become the Apple II, “I proposed it five times, I got turned down. No computer company really felt it was going to go anywhere.” His legacy is defined not only by the Apple II but also by his philosophy that “happiness equals smiles minus frowns,” and in the power of technology to solve real world problems. “If you can make jokes, you can look at the world in different ways.