Joseph Noujaim’s Post

MIT can’t make its mind up on Gen AI. Is it overhyped or under hyped? Two conflicting reports came out recently from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One, from MIT Sloan School of Management calling Gen AI a ‘general purpose technology’, which will have the impact of the steam engine and electrification in its ability to grow and transform economies - and at an even faster pace. The other, from MIT/Goldman Sachs seeing only limited US economic upside from AI over the next decade. According to Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT, “few—if any [transformative changes]—will likely occur within the next 10 years” (Links in comments) I think this defines where we are with GenAI at the moment – at the hiatus between technology and killer application. It took ~10 years between invention of the PC and the PC boom, which in the end was thanks to the invention of GUI and spreadsheet programs. I’m pretty sure you could find articles in that period saying that PCs were overhyped and not going anywhere. Although many people now use GenAI on a daily basis, the killer app hasn’t yet appeared. With a technology as broad in its application and as powerful as this, that’s no surprise. As they say, “patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet”. #GenAI #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfAI #TechTrends #MIT #AIImpact #DigitalTransformation

Every year, I make a few predictions about where I think AI and the broader tech industry could be headed. Here are my top 3 for 2025: 1️⃣ A human-first Renaissance I don’t know what the future of work will look like, but I know for sure it won’t happen by competing against the machines. Social, artistic, and technical progress will come from doubling down on what humans can uniquely do — taste, craft, experiences, storytelling, connection, and ideas that fall outside the distribution of what’s already been done. Combine these inherently human skills with the raw speed and power of machines, and you get the ultimate recipe for human augmentation. There’s an interesting human Renaissance coming. 2️⃣ Simulations all the way The biggest technological shifts since the 70s have been either medical technologies or information technologies — largely, technologies of simulation. Beyond audio, video, and special effects, software itself is simulation — a virtual representation of people, markets, and ideas, amplified by the Internet and made ubiquitous with smartphones. Generative AI is accelerating this trend at a rate we couldn’t have foreseen only 3 years ago. In 2025 I’m hoping to see the full power of simulation at play in fields like education and medicine. I’m particularly bullish on tools that help us practice skills that once required heavy supervision (medical procedures, maintenance of machinery, but also soft skills like communication, planning, and teamwork). 3️⃣ Advent of the agentic swarm Two years spent building with LLMs have taught me that “divide and conquer” really is the best way to build agentic workflows. Rather than having single, general-purpose models doing everything at once, we’re about to see many more pipelines made of small, specialised agents operating in unison as swarms — orchestrating work, breaking down tasks, voting on the best course of action, and behaving like independent “reasoning units”, each imbued with its own specialised knowledge (I’m using the term “reasoning” loosely here). Agentic swarms have powerful applications, notably in anything relating to research, decision-making, and large-scale simulation (echoing point 2). There are so many more things to look forward to this year, and endless opportunities to learn and build. Here’s to a fun year ahead — I hope you’re as excited as I am. #ai #data #simulation #agents #tech

Innovation takes time. Innovation takes teamwork. Innovation takes thought partnership.

Most of us are threatened to the core by the thought that AI is here to replace us 🤖 We made machines 🖥️ We made and stacked the algorithms 📊 We taught the machine how to learn 📈 Now the machine has seamlessly integrated itself into various aspects of our daily lives. It has become our friend. We have nurtured it to be able to process way more data than we possibly can and way much faster, allowing us to leverage time…time we can use to live, love and innovate 💜 As an avid user who has utilized machine learning in medical research, I wholeheartedly embrace technology and change! lets harness the infinite possibilities it give us to enhance productivity & convenience, to do good, to improve the way we relate to each other to transform our home, our workplace, our local and global community. Seamlessly integrate it into various aspects of our daily lives 🌎 #innovation, #technology, #creativity, #future, #futurism, #motivation

“New ML thinking” Fun discussion on the next breakthroughs in the application of AI/ML in breeding. When you climb one peak (or even before :-) you always have to plan the next higher ascent. One thing has been true forever is that it’s all in how you conceive the problem/opportunity… that will dictate its impact. Formulating and re-formulating the space, seeing it from new angles, adapting approaches from other industries … yeah noodling until it is novel, interesting, and can lead to new step change insights is the key. It’s fast and slow work. Gathering insights. Testing thinking. Talking and sharing ideas. I love having thought partners like Xiao Yang and Tonya Ehlmann who bring a depth and breadth of success from multiple industries. I love how they see not only what’s possible but can formulate an approach in seconds. I also love how they push and build on each other and me. Tech is super interesting but in of itself is usually not much of an answer. Thinking through how tech has been applied to other problems does help reformulate how you see your own space. That’s useful. It helps break assumptions. Many of the limits in industry are passed from one generation to the next, meanwhile everything has changed. When you fall in love with step changes the territory is reformulating and creating white space. The great sushi also helped. Never settle. #boat #innovation

Most probably an unpopular opinion, but every day I am ever more convinced that along with the specific domain knowledge, it's crucial that industry leaders have understanding of the core math principles behind AI/ML models, in order to truly leverage their potential (after filtering from the surrounding hype) for generating real business value for a specific use case (or simply understand if that's not the case). That's the only way they have to protect themselves from snake oil sellers (there are too many out there), assess the feasibility, scalability, and potential ROI of AI projects, manage risks properly (by implementing robust validation and testing protocols to ensure models act in alignment with company values and regulatory standards), achieve competitive advantage, allocate resource efficiently, fosters better collaboration with data scientists and AI professionals (mutual understanding bridges the gap between business strategy and technical implementation). As a leader you don't necessarily have to be at a mathematician level of course, but literacy in mathematics is required to navigate the complexities of AI effectively. To make this more clear, let me make an analogy with car driving. Being a mathematician is like being a professional race car driver, who has an in-depth understanding of the mechanics of the car, knows how to tweak the engine, optimize car efficiency, handle intense driving conditions, etc. On the other hand, a regular car commuter can be considered like a person with math literacy: he/she not necessary needs to know the intricate details of how a car engine works, but understands how to read a map, plan the best route to reach the workplace/go back home, ensure basic car maintenance (fuel, oil, tyres pressure, etc.) and know when to seek for expert advice and how to make informed decisions along a commuting journey. My talk at the BioTechX 2024 is meant for the math literate leader and not only for people with a strong tech and mathematical background around AI topics. Please join my session on October 10th at 2:30 PM local time at the BioTechX Europe 2024. #AI #MachineLearning #biotechx #GenAI #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #DataScience #TechLeadership

Google DeepMind and BioNTech have embarked on a mission to develop AI lab assistants capable of helping researchers plan experiments, predict outcomes, and even troubleshoot in real-time. ➡️ DeepMind’s AI, led by Sir Demis Hassabis, aims to act as a sophisticated research assistant, bridging gaps between disciplines and accelerating discovery. BioNTech, with its AI assistant “Laila,” has taken automation further, integrating lab tools to detect mechanical failures and manage biological tasks like DNA analysis. ➡️ These innovations promise to free up researchers' time by automating routine tasks, but there’s still a long road before AI can fully take over the research lab. The gold standard remains real-world experiments, but with tools like AlphaFold predicting protein structures, the future of scientific breakthroughs could be supercharged. ❓ Are we truly on the verge of a scientific revolution, or just outsourcing curiosity to machines? Read the full story in the Financial Times: https://lnkd.in/gnpErXBB #Research #AI #Science #Future #Innovation ---- 💡 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 - you can have real-time insights, recommendations (a lot more than I share here) and conversations with my digital twin via text, audio or video in 28 languages! Join >6000 users who went before and go to app.thedigitalspeaker.com to sign up and take our connection to the next level! 🚀

While humanity races toward the stars with cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning, sometimes the most impactful innovations are born from simple, practical ideas fueled by empathy. Not every invention needs to be super high-tech; some of the greatest breakthroughs come from truly caring about the well-being of others. When we design solutions that make life easier for everyone—especially for those facing challenges—we transcend our roles as engineers and become true catalysts for change. My kudos to this small idea, yet powerful invention designed to help the elderly and physically challenged get into cars effortlessly. It's a reminder that engineering with a heart can change lives in ways big and small. 💡 #EmpathyInEngineering #CommunityService #InnovationWithHeart #SuperEngineer #AccessibilityMatters #EngineeringForAll

A very interesting report from the State of AI Report covering AI, a topic that needs no introduction. Happy reading! SMEs, startups, and businesses in #Dubai and the #GCC region can contact LK IT Consultancy for a no-obligation discussion on AI and Automation. We are confident that we can deliver cost savings, streamline operations, and boost revenue. #AI #GenerativeAI #Dubai #GCC #Technology #IT #InformationTecnology #Automation #ArtificalIntelliegnce

The AI hype cycle is in full swing, but where's the substance? Two great reads heading into the weekend: The State of AI Report 2024 and J12 Ventures' "What's Next in Data and AI". https://lnkd.in/gcD7gX52 These reports provide a solid snapshot of what's happening, raising some questions worth thinking about: - How are AI applications actually being used in today, beyond the headlines? (J12 report offers real-world examples). - What are the REAL cost implications of AI implementation, including infrastructure, talent, and energy? - Can AI truly deliver on its promise of increased efficiency and ROI, or are we overestimating its short-term impact? - How will regulations like the EU AI Act affect investment strategies and operational models? (Both reports offer insights into regulation). AI brings huge potential, but a healthy dose of skepticism is always wise. These reports give a detailed look at current state of play. If you're looking to get some useful insights to shape your thinking, I highly recommend diving into both. Enjoy the weekend reading!