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Is the next level of AI already here?
This week we look at the next level of AI, how mega projects are driving its potential, and how AI is tapping into human emotion
Yoshi Soornack
August 16, 2024
Table of Contents
This Week’s BIG thing
What does next-gen AI look like?
In last week's podcast, we discussed "Strawberry," OpenAI's secret and potentially most powerful model. Strawberry is important because it marks the next level of AI, bringing us closer to AGI—a world where machines rival human intelligence.
Based on OpenAI's outlook and what we know about Strawberry, here's what’s in store for the next evolution of AI:
🌀 Complex tasks over time: AI could handle multi-step reasoning and long-term strategy, providing insights across entire projects, not just single tasks.
👟 Self-training AI: Strawberry seems to be self-trained, meaning next gen AI should be able to learn and make decisions independently, even tackling problems humans struggle to define!
🧘♂️ Deep autonomous research: Future AI might continuously learn and think outside active conversations, acting like a tireless assistant that optimises information or solves problems on its own.
𝌙 Advanced reasoning: As OpenAI's roadmap suggests, AI could develop human-level reasoning, mastering abstract concepts and independent hypothesis testing, much like scientific discovery.
Why you should care 🫵
The next level of AI has the potential to transform how you manage and execute projects. Imagine AI handling complex, multi-step reasoning, giving you deeper insights and helping you make more informed decisions throughout the entire project lifecycle. With self-training capabilities, AI can independently identify and address challenges that might be difficult for us to even define, leading to more efficient execution and a better grasp of variance. AI’s ability to conduct deep autonomous research could evolve how you plan, forecast, and deliver, ultimately driving greater success and giving you a competitive edge.
The rabbit hole 🐰
What’s new: Projects
How NEOM’s The Line, Saudi Arabia’s $100 Billion project is using AI
When NEOM’s the line was first uncovered, it garnered a lot of attention both good…and bad. NEOM’s The Line is a huge (and expensive) urban development project in Saudi Arabia that aims to create a futuristic, linear smart city powered extensively by AI. It forms part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 supporting economic diversification and positioning NEOM as a living laboratory for tech innovation. Here’s how AI will potentially be woven into NEOM’s The Line:
🏗️ Digital twin backbone: NEOM is using AI to create a mega digital twin - a virtual replica of the physical city - which will feed the design and assembly of modular builds.
🧠 A personalised, cognitive city: The Line aims to be a fully cognitive city, with AI woven into its very fabric to create a seamless, personalised experience for residents. It is being driven by Tonomus, the first subsidiary of NEOM. This includes personalised education, healthcare, entertainment and more.
🔮 Predictive services: The AI systems will learn resident behaviours and patterns to optimise city services in a predictive manner.
🌱 AI-powered sustainability: The city aims to run on 100% renewable energy with no carbon footprint. Sensors and IoT devices will track environmental metrics like air quality and will adapt systems using AI.
🔐 Advanced cybersecurity: Advanced AI will power unprecedented levels of cybersecurity, able to review millions of events per second.
Why you should care 🫵
NEOM's The Line project is a glimpse into a future where technology is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of our daily lives. Imagine living in a city where your environment is constantly adapting to your needs without you even realising. For project professionals, the AI capabilities being harnessed in NEOM's The Line shows a paradigm shift in how we deliver and operate large-scale infrastructure and urban development projects. A mega digital twin of the city allows for unseen levels of simulation and testing before ground is even broken. This “could” lead to significant cost savings, reduced project timelines and enhanced quality. We say “could” because the ambitious project has already faced key challenges with significantly reduced scope, weakened foreign investment, dystopian perceptions and inflated expectations. Time will tell if the development is something to marvel or whether it’s a hubristic fantasy.
The rabbit hole 🐰
What’s new: Tech
The new AI powered friend: mastering your wellbeing
We’re big believers that emotion is the essence of humans, and that emotional intelligence is what gives humans an advantage over AI. But what happens when these differences are blurred?
Meet Friend - An AI-powered wearable pendant that is designed to be your always companion. Here’s what it does:
👥 Constant companionship: Friend is always with you, listening to your thoughts with the aim to guide your wellbeing. It can provide check-ins, encouragement, general chat and more.
🥰 Emotional support: The device has been trained to support with a variety of scenarios like combatting loneliness, self-reflection and calming nerves and anxiety.
💁♀️ Personalised interaction: A trait of AI tools is personalisation, which Friend also delivers. It’s powered by Anthropic’s powerful Claude 3.5 to give engaging, contextual responses, which evolves over time as it gets to know you.
💭 It has its own thoughts: Friend forms its own thoughts about your life giving you a different viewpoint on things that are happening in your life.
📆 Automated actions: The device has a level of automation to help you with your daily tasks. One example being that it can create calendar items for you when you talk about events.
Why you should care 🫵
For living your everyday life, the benefits of Friend is self-explanatory. It’s there for wellbeing and support, to be used as a supplement for social interaction. In the context of projects, Friend can be a valuable tool for managing stress and maintaining a positive outlook. The demanding nature of project work often leads to high stress levels and potential burnout, but having a supportive AI companion to talk to and receive encouragement from can help mitigate these challenges. Friend can also serve as an impartial sounding board for ideas and can help professionals analyse complex project situations from different angles. On first glance, Friend seems a bit like a black mirror episode, but then on second glance you can see how it can help maintain wellbeing. It’s worth noting that Friend is to be used a supplement to your social life, not a replacement of it!
The rabbit hole 🐰
What’s new: Productivity
Google’s game-changing AI Model
Maybe because of the lacklustre name, but Googles latest model Gemini 1.5 Pro (0801) has been seriously impressive, creating a buzz in the tech community. This experimental version of Gemini has outperformed top competitors like OpenAI's GPT-4 in recent benchmarks, reviving Google's position as a leading contender in AI.
Here’s why people are raving about Gemini 1.5 Pro (0801) :
1️⃣ Outperforming Competitors: Gemini 1.5 Pro (0801) has surpassed top AI models like GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 in widely recognised benchmarks like the LMS-y chatbot arena
2️⃣ Ease of Use: The model's ability to handle huge prompts and context windows makes it smarter and easier to work with out of the box. Users can feed it large amounts of information and let the model do the heavy lifting, without the need for extra code or infrastructure.
3️⃣ Potential for New Use Cases: The context window improvements and multimodal processing capabilities of Gemini 1.5 Pro open up new possibilities for developers and enterprises to create, discover, and build using AI. It has the potential to become a powerful copilot for the mind, assisting with tasks like organising notes and finding relevant information.
4️⃣ Availability and Pricing: Gemini 1.5 Pro is currently available in a public preview through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio, with both free and paid tiers. The model's accessibility and competitive pricing make it an attractive option for developers and businesses looking to leverage cutting-edge AI technology.
Why you should care 🫵
As generative AI evolves, its wise to make sure you’re using the the best models for you. Models differ in capability with some better than others in different facets, whilst also differing in style, flexibility and some would argue wokeness. Keeping on top of the latest and best performing models will help you to understand which models are suitable in general, but also for specific scenarios like using it for work or your personal life.
The rabbit hole 🐰
Events
Last week we held a Project Data Analytics Task Force discussion on risk management in projects. Here’s the event recap:
The discussion explored the evolving approaches in project management, focusing on "Traditional Risk Management vs. Variance Analytics." It provided a balanced comparison between these two methods, highlighting how variance analytics, with its dynamic, data-driven capabilities, is challenging the static, process-focused nature of traditional risk management.
Highlights:
Traditional Risk Management: A long-standing approach using tools like risk registers and risk matrices to identify and mitigate risks. However, its static nature and reliance on siloed data can be limiting in dynamic project environments.
Variance Analytics: A newer, adaptive approach leveraging real-time data, AI, and machine learning to assess risks as they emerge. This method offers greater flexibility and responsiveness, especially in complex projects.
Case Studies: Examples from government and infrastructure projects showed how variance analytics can provide better adaptability and resilience, often leading to more successful outcomes compared to traditional methods.
Challenges: Implementing variance analytics requires overcoming hurdles like data integration, training, and cost. However, combining it with traditional risk management can create a more robust strategy.
The event underscored the need for a balanced approach, integrating the strengths of both traditional risk management and variance analytics to navigate the complexities of modern projects.
Project Flux Podcast
Watch our latest podcast episodes 👇
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Moving to a 3-day work week with AI
Next gen AI and whats to come
Humanoid robots tested in BMW’s production line
UKRI’s £32m investment into 98 AI startups
What it’s like being forced to use AI
🏙️ Is AI and Generative Design the Missing Link in BIM?
In this episode, we sat with Architect turned BIM specialist and startup founder Allister Lewis. Here we discussed:
Allister’s journey from architect to BIM specialist to founder
The impact of generative design in the built environment
Choosing the right AI software in a dense market
The power of interoperability and open-source solutions
Meet Project Flux: About Us
At Project Flux, we're committed to pioneering the future of construction and project delivery through the lens of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence insights. Our vision is to be at the forefront of integrating AI into the fabric of project delivery, transforming how projects are conceptualised, planned, and executed.
Our Mission Project Flux aims to not only inform and educate but also to inspire professionals in the construction industry to embrace the transformative potential of AI. We believe in the power of AI to revolutionise project delivery, making it more efficient, predictive, and adaptable to the dynamic demands of the modern world.
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