What I Read Last Week: AI Overload, Age of Misinformation, Startup Pitches

From TechCrunch: A startup pitch is not a presentation and founders must understand the differences

Bill Reichert (serial entrepreneur and venture capital investor at Pegasus Tech Ventures ) emphasizes the distinction between a pitch and a presentation, particularly in the context of startup entrepreneurship. Bill, a serial entrepreneur and venture capital investor, highlights that while presentation coaching focuses on turning pitches into performances with a structured narrative, a pitch is more dynamic and interactive. The successful startup pitch requires active engagement from the audience, such as investors, who should be asking questions and participating in a conversation rather than passively listening to a rehearsed story. The article also stresses the importance of being concise and ready to address questions in a short timeframe, as pitches can be as brief as 60 seconds.

Read the complete article

From Ted After Hours (Podcast): Our Prediction for 2024

Harvard Professors Mihir Desai and Felix Oberholzer-Gee have a spirited discussion and make the following predictions in the podcast.

The Future of Oil and OPEC's Influence

One of the most striking predictions discussed was the potential fall of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The oil industry has been a cornerstone of the global economy for decades, but as we move towards renewable energy sources, the influence of OPEC could significantly diminish.

Personal Opinion: I don't believe this is what is going to happen in 2024, but later in a decade when our renewable resources become more mainstream and proficient. This is likely to happen. For similar reasons, OPEC are also shifting economic models which are less oil-dependent.

Artificial Intelligence: Transforming Technology and Human Connections

One area that particularly stood out was content creation. We discussed the controversial topic of AI-generated erotic and pornographic content and its potential effects on the industry. Moreover, we touched upon how AI might evolve to foster human connections in a world where technology is increasingly omnipresent.

Macroeconomic Policy: The Quest for 2% Inflation

Macroeconomic policy, especially the challenges of achieving a 2% inflation rate in the American economy, was also on the table. This target, often pursued by central banks, has become increasingly elusive in recent years. The talk explored the tools and strategies that might be employed to reach this goal and the potential hurdles that could arise in the process.

Gaming and Entertainment: A New Frontier

In an exciting turn of conversation, one prediction was made that a major streaming company, such as Disney or Netflix, might acquire Electronic Arts, a leading game maker. This move could be driven by the financial allure of an ad-supported tier and the longevity of successful gaming franchises. The future foresees blurry lines between gaming and traditional video content, suggesting a future where gaming content could be repurposed for other entertainment forms.

Content Distribution Over Creation

Adding to the gaming discussion, broader trend of focusing on distributing and using content rather than creating it anew. This shift towards monetizing existing content could redefine how we think about entertainment and its value.

Environmental Concerns: Plastic as the New Asbestos

The conversation took a sobering turn as the podcast discussed the environmental impact of plastic. Plastic might soon be viewed as the new asbestos, with growing concerns about its effects on human health and the environment. Drawing parallels to the organic food movement, a realization of plastic's negative effects could lead to significant changes in consumption patterns and product design.

Despite the convenience and cost-efficiency of plastic products, we acknowledged the need for a shift in consumption and substitution patterns, especially in light of the microplastics issue and its environmental ramifications.

The Decline of Search Engine Quality

AI-generated will lead to the rapid deterioration of search engine result quality. Driven by a business model that favors sponsored links over verified high-quality content, they anticipated challenges in distinguishing between AI-generated content and genuinely high-quality material, leading to a decline in the overall quality of search results.

Listen to the complete podcast on Spotify

From Ted (Video): How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation

Adding to the last prediction made in the above TED podcast, I found a great TED talk held 4 years ago.

Sinan Aral, Professor, MIT/ Director MIT IDE/ Data scientist, talks about Fake news and why it spreads so quickly. With the advent of AI-generated content, it will be nearly impossible to differentiate between Fake and Truth. He talks about 5 ways in which we could tackle the Fake news pandemic along with the challenges that occur in implementing them. What is most noteworthy is, that the predictions made in this talk 4 years ago are becoming today's reality.

False news spreads faster, further, and more broadly than true news on social media, with false political news being the most viral. Spreaders of false news typically have fewer followers and less online presence, yet their content is 70% more likely to be retweeted.

Generative adversarial networks are getting better at fooling us into believing lies. The ease of access and deployment of these AI models exacerbate the problem of synthetic media and misinformation.

Watch the full video.