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The biggest technology game changers dont always grab the biggest headlines. Two emerging AI developments may not go viral on TikTok or YouTube, but they represent an inflection point that could radically accelerate the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Thats AI that can function and learn like us. Coming to our senses: WildFusion As humans, we rely on all sorts of stimuli to navigate in the world, including our senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. Until now, AI devices have been solely reliant on a single sensevisual impressions. Brand-new research from Duke University goes beyond reliance only on visual perception. Its called WildFusion, combining vision with touch and vibration. The four-legged robot used by the research team includes microphones and tactile sensors in addition to the standard cameras commonly found in state-of-the-art robots. The WildFusion robot can use sound to assess the quality of a surface (dry leaves, wet sand) as well as pressure and resistance to calibrate its balance and stability. All of this data is gathered and combined or fused, into a single data representation that improves over time with experience. The research team plans enhance the robots capabilities by enabling it to gauge things like heat and humidity. As the types of data used to interact with the environment become richer and more integrated, AI moves inexorably closer to true AGI. Learning to learn The second underreported AI technology game changer comes from researchers at the universities of Surrey and Hamburg. While still in the early stages of development, this breakthrough allows robots that interact socially with humans (social robots) to train themselves with minimal human intervention. It achieves this by replicating what humans would visually focus on in complex social situations. For example, we learn over time as humans to look at a persons face when talking to them or to look at what they are pointing to rather than at their feet or off into space. But robots wont do that without being specifically trained. Until now, the training to refine behavior in robots was primarily reliant on constant human monitoring and supervision. This new innovative approach uses robotic simulations to track, monitor, and importantly, improve the quality of the robot interactions with minimal human involvement. Robots learn social skills without constant human oversight. This marks an important step forward in the overall advancement of social robotics and could prove to be a huge AGI accelerator. Self-teaching AI could lead to advancements at an exponential rate, a prospect some of us view as thrilling, others as chilling. AI signal over noise Amazing as they may be to watch, dancing humanoid robots and mechanical dogs can be characterized as narrow AIAI designed only for a specific task or purpose. The feats of these purpose-built tools are impressive. But these two new developments advance how AI experiences the world and how it learns from those experiences. They will dramatically change how technology exists (and coexists with us) in the world. Taken together, these breakthroughs and the work of other researchers and entrepreneurs along similar paths are resetting the trajectory and the timetable for achieving AGI. This could mark the tipping point that turns the slow march toward AGI into an all-out run.
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Whether weather is always on your radar or merely a passing front of occasional interest, having an on-demand eye on the world around you is one of the most powerful slices of sorcery you can set your sights on today. And this week, I want to introduce you to a worthwhile new weather app I recently encountered thats decidedly different from the others. It isnt meant to replace whatever weather app youre already using, whether thats the one that came preinstalled on your phone or another favorite youve found over time (maybe even one that serves up the forecast with a hilarious side of sass?). Rather, it serves one super-specific purposeand serves it impressively well. And it might just be worth your while to keep around as a complement to whatever other weather wesource resource youre using. Be the first to find all sorts of little-known tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. One useful new discovery in your inbox every Wednesday! Your personal precipitation station Most weather apps aim to do it allto be your one-stop spot for every manner of weather info you could possibly wonder about. This weeks Cool Tool is more of a specialist. It does just one extremely specific weather-related thing, but good golly, does it do it well. The app is called Precip. Any guesses about its purpose? If you said it knits you sweaters whilst preparing delightfully steamy stews, (a) excellent guessbut (b) unfortunately, that isnt correct. Precip, as perhaps mightve been your next guess following sweaters n stew, measures the rain and other precipitation around you. It isnt offering up a forecast like most weather apps, in other words. Its actually telling you how much moisture came down in any given areaover any time period you want. And it lets you zoom into a narrow area for supremely detailed and precise info, too, even going down as far as to a specific address. Precip shows you precise precipitation totals for any area you open. Theres just one asterisk: Precips data is limited to the U.S. and Canada, at least for the time being. (Sorry, international pals!) If youre in one of those areas, though, itll take you all of a single minute to start using: For the best and most robust experience, youll want to snag the mobile appavailable on Android as well as on iOS. You can also check rainfall totals by zip code on the Precip website, but you wont be able to zoom in any further to exact locations or to access any of the more advanced data. In the apps, you can search by city, zip code, or street address, and you can see rain totals from the past 12, 24, or 48 hours. You can also save specific locations and then easily track their rain totals over time. You can track rain totals from locations down to a specific street address. Precip offers even more info as a part of its premium subscription, for 20 bucks a year and up. But the apps free version is plenty powerful, and odds are, itll be all you need. (That version also doesnt even seem to have any ads present, as far as Ive seen so far.) Its like having your own personal rain gauge on the groundonly it exists entirely in your purse or pocket, all inside your favorite device. Not too shabby, Id say. Precip is available on the web in a limited form or in a native Android app and iOS app for a more complete experience. Its free at its base level, with optional subscriptions starting at $20-a-year for a variety of extra abilities. The apps do require you to sign in with an email address to use many of their features, but they dont require any other personal infoand the developers say they dont share any data with anyone. Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for even more useful software surprisesstarting with a standout audio app thatll tune up your days in some delightful ways.
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Leadership used to be a role people aspired to. But today, employees are increasingly avoiding leadership positions or even stepping out of leadership roles. In fact, 40% of leaders have considered leaving their role to improve their work-life balance and well-being according to a survey of almost 11,000 leaders by DDI. A comprehensive survey by Rand across 34 countries involving 27,000 adults found that 39% didnt want career progression and 57% would reject a job if they thought it would have negative effects on their work-life balance. And according to a separate survey by DDI, Gen Z is 1.7 times more likely than other generations to consider leaving leadership roles because they want to protect their well-being. However, there are still compelling reasons to seek leadership. And there are great reasons to stick with it if youre already in a leadership role. 1. Making a positive impact Leadership is the most direct route for making a positive impact on an organization. Leaders have a broader range of influence, because of the number of people who report to them, the practices they adopt, and the decisions they make. Leaders also have a big impact on others. Demonstrating respect and empathy, focusing on well-being, and inspiring performance and results can all have positive outcomes for people. And these leadership behaviors can have a ripple effect in terms of how people treat each other and hold each other accountable in the organization and the community. As a leader, youre likely to work on issues that are more strategic than tactical, which can have a domino effect on the business. For example, decisions by the product leader can impact how the brand team markets the product and the sales team positions it with customers. 2. Pay and marketability Another reason to lead is because of the rewards. Leadership is worth the effort because it pays you back in tangible ways. In most companies, leadership responsibility is still the fastest way to increase your pay and advance your career. But in addition, youll also be likely to amplify your personal brand and increase your marketability. Leadership is one of the most sought-after skills among hiring managers and organizations. When youre able to demonstrate that you have experience with leadership and youre skilled in directing, coaching, decision-making, inspiring, and motivating others, youll set yourself up to shine in future roles. And youll be able to advance within your current organization or in a new company. Its an excellent time to pursue leadership since fewer people are interested, meaning theres less competition and more opportunities. 3. Autonomy No matter what your role, you have to answer to someone. Even senior leaders or founders of companies have to answer to boards of directors or customers. But in leadership roles, you typically make decisions about what gets done and how its prioritized. You may also benefit from greater variety in your work, and less redundancy. Youll have more control over what you do, which can be empowering. Having choice and control can be especially fulfilling, and it can also reduce stress. In two separate studies by Indiana University in 2016 and 2020, people who were in jobs that were very stressful and who had little decision-making power tended to be less healthy and had reduced longevity. On the other hand, when people were in stressful jobs but had more autonomy and control over how they did their work, they didnt have the same negative health outcomes. 4. Growth Another great reason to lead is the opportunity for growth. The process of learning new things is significantly correlated with happiness, according to a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies. Leadership challenges your capabilities as you navigate all the needs of the team, the organization, and the competitive environment. As a leader, you may be called on to do new projects, take on additional initiatives, or expand your responsibilities. All of these are great ways to build your skills for your current job and your next job to create a career thats satisfying and meaningful.
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