digital skills

Why it’s different this time

Peter Cripps comment, education , , , , , ,
Image Created Using Adobe Photoshop and Firefly

John Templeton, the American-born British stock investor, once said: “The four most expensive words in the English language are, ‘This time it’s different.’”

Templeton was referring to people and institutions who had invested in the next ‘big thing’ believing that this time it was different, the bubble could not possibly burst and their investments were sure to be safe. But then, for whatever reason, the bubble did burst and fortunes were lost.

Take as an example the tech boom of the late 1980s and 1990s. Previously unimagined technologies that no one could ever see any sign of failing meant investors poured their money into this boom. Then it all collapsed and many fortunes were lost as the Nasdaq dropped 75 percent.

It seems to be an immutable law of economics that busts will follow booms as sure as night follows day. The trick then is to predict the boom and exit your investment at the right time – not too soon and not too late, to paraphrase Goldilocks.

Most recently the phrase “this time it’s different” is being applied to the wave of AI technology which has been hitting our shores, especially since the widespread release of large language model technologies which current AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s PaLM, and Meta’s LLaMA use as their underpinning.

Which brings me to the book The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman.

Suleyman was the co-founder of DeepMind (now owned by Google) and is currently CEO of Inflection an AI ‘studio’ that, according to its company blurb is “creating a personal AI for everyone”.

The Coming Wave provides us with an overview not just of the capabilities of current AI systems but also contains a warning which Suleyman refers to as the containment problem. If our future is to depend on AI technology (which it increasingly looks like it will given that, according to Suleyman, LLMs are the “fastest, diffusing consumer models we have ever seen“) how do you make it a force for good rather than evil whereby a bunch of ‘bad actors’ could imperil our very existence? In other words, how do you monitor, control and limit (or even prevent) this technology?

Suleyman’s central premise in this book is that the coming technological wave of AI is different from any that have gone before for five reasons which makes containment very difficult (if not impossible). In summary, these are:

  • Reason #1: Asymmetry – the potential imbalances or disparities caused by artificial intelligence systems being able to transfer extreme power from state to individual actors.
  • Reason #2: Exponentiality – the phenomenon where the capabilities of AI systems, such as processing power, data storage, or problem-solving ability, increase at an accelerating pace over time. This rapid growth is often driven by breakthroughs in algorithms, hardware, and the availability of large datasets.
  • Reason #3: Generality – the ability of an artificial intelligence system to apply their knowledge, skills, or capabilities across a wide range of tasks or domains.
  • Reason #4: Autonomy – the ability of an artificial intelligence system or agent to operate and make decisions independently, without direct human intervention.
  • Reason #5: Technological Hegemony – the malignant concentrations of power that inhibit innovation in the public interest, distort our information systems, and threaten our national security.

Suleyman’s book goes into each of these attributes in detail and I do not intend to repeat any of that here (buy the book or watch his explainer video). Suffice it to say however that collectively these attributes mean that this technology is about to deliver us nothing less than a radical proliferation of power which, if unchecked, could lead to one of two possible (and equally undesirable) outcomes:.

  1. A surveillance state (which China is currently building and exporting).
  2. An eventual catastrophe born of runaway development.

Other technologies have had one or maybe two of these capabilities but I don’t believe any have had all five, certainly at the level AI has. For example electricity was a general purpose technology with multiple applications but even now individuals cannot build their own generators (easily) and there is certainly not any autonomy in power generation. The internet comes closest to having all five attributes but it is not currently autonomous (though AI itself threatens to change that).

To be fair, Suleyman does not just present us with what, by any measure, is a truly wicked problem he also offers a ten point plan for for how we might begin to address the containment problem and at least dilute the effects the coming wave might have. These stretch from including built in safety measures to prevent AI from acting autonomously in an uncontrolled fashion through regulation by governments right up to cultivating a culture around this technology that treats it with caution from the outset rather than adopting the move fast and break things philosophy of Mark Zuckerberg. Again, get the book to find out more about what these measures might involve.

My more immediate concerns are not based solely on the five features described in The Coming Wave but on a sixth feature I have observed which I believe is equally important and increasingly overlooked by our rush to embrace AI. This is:

  • Reason #6: Techno-paralysis – the state of being overwhelmed or paralysed by the rapid pace of technological change caused by technology systems.

As is the case of the impact of the five features of Suleyman’s coming wave I see two, equally undesirable outcomes of techno-paralysis:

  1. People become so overwhelmed and fearful because of their lack of understanding of these technological changes they choose to withdraw from their use entirely. Maybe not just “dropping out” in an attempt to return to what they see as a better world, one where they had more control, but by violently protesting and attacking the people and the organisations they see as being responsible for this “progress”. I’m talking the Tolpuddle Martyrs here but on a scale that can be achieved using the organisational capabilities of our hyper-connected world.
  2. Rather than fighting against techno-paralysis we become irretrevably sucked into the systems that are creating and propagating these new technologies and, to coin a phrase, “drink the Kool-Aid”. The former Greek finance minister and maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis, refers to these systems, and the companies behind them, as the technofeudalists. We have become subservient to these tech overlords (i.e. Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta and Microsoft) by handing over our data to their cloud spaces. By spending all of our time scrolling and browsing digital media we are acting as ‘cloud-serfs’ — working as unpaid producers of data to disproportionately benefit these digital overlords.

There is a reason why the big-five tech overlords are spending hundreds of billions of dollars between them on AI research, LLM training and acquisitions. For each of them this is the next beachhead that must be conquered and occupied, the spoils of which will be huge for those who get their first. Not just in terms of potential revenue but also in terms of new cloud-serfs captured. We run the risk of AI being the new tool of choice in weaponising the cloud to capture larger portions of our time in servitude to these companies who produce evermore ingenious ways of controlling our thoughts, actions and minds.

So how might we deal with this potentially undesirable outcome of the coming wave of AI? Surely it has to be through education? Not just of our children but of everyone who has a vested interest in a future where we control our AI and not the other way round.

Last November the UK governments Department for Education (DfE) released the results from a Call for Evidence on the use of GenAI in education. The report highlighted the following benefits:

  • Freeing up teacher time (e.g. on administrative tasks) to focus on better student interaction.
  • Improving teaching and education materials to aid creativity by suggesting new ideas and approaches to teaching.
  • Helping with assessment and marking.
  • Adaptive teaching by analysing students’ performance and pace, and to tailor educational materials accordingly.
  • Better accessibility and inclusion e.g. for SEND students, teaching materials could be more easily and quickly differentiated for their specific.

whilst also highlighting some potential risks including:

  • An over reliance on AI tools (by students and staff) which would compromise their knowledge and skill development by encouraging them to passively consume information.
  • Tendency of GenAI tools to produce inaccurate, biased and harmful outputs.
  • Potential for plagiarism and damage to academic integrity.
  • Danger that AI will be used for the replacement or undermining of teachers.
  • Exacerbation of digital divides and problems of teaching AI literacy in such a fast changing field.

I believe that to address these concerns effectively, legislators should consider implementing the following seven point plan:

  1. Regulatory Framework: Establish a regulatory framework that outlines the ethical and responsible use of AI in education. This framework should address issues such as data privacy, algorithm transparency, and accountability for AI systems deployed in educational settings.
  2. Teacher Training and Support: Provide professional development opportunities and resources for educators to effectively integrate AI tools into their teaching practices. Emphasize the importance of maintaining a balance between AI-assisted instruction and traditional teaching methods to ensure active student engagement and critical thinking.
  3. Quality Assurance: Implement mechanisms for evaluating the accuracy, bias, and reliability of AI-generated content and assessments. Encourage the use of diverse datasets and algorithms to mitigate the risk of producing biased or harmful outputs.
  4. Promotion of AI Literacy: Integrate AI literacy education into the curriculum to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand, evaluate, and interact with AI technologies responsibly. Foster a culture of critical thinking and digital citizenship to empower students to navigate the complexities of the digital world.
  5. Collaboration with Industry and Research: Foster collaboration between policymakers, educators, researchers, and industry stakeholders to promote innovation and address emerging challenges in AI education. Support initiatives that facilitate knowledge sharing, research partnerships, and technology development to advance the field of AI in education.
  6. Inclusive Access: Ensure equitable access to AI technologies and resources for all students, regardless of their gender, socioeconomic background or learning abilities. Invest in infrastructure and initiatives to bridge the digital divide and provide support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to benefit from AI-enabled educational tools.
  7. Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly monitor and evaluate the implementation of AI in education to identify potential risks, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Collect feedback from stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, and educational institutions, to inform evidence-based policymaking and decision-making processes.

The coming AI wave cannot be another technology that we let wash over and envelop us. Indeed Suleyman himself towards the end of his book makes the following observations…

“Technologist cannot be distant, disconnected architects of the future, listening only to themselves.“

Technologists must also be credible critics who…
“…must be practitioners. Building the right technology, having the practical means to change its course, not just observing and commenting, but actively showing the way, making the change, effecting the necessary actions at source, means critics need to be involved.“

If we are to avoid widespread techno-paralysis caused by this coming wave than we need a 21st century education system that is capable of creating digital citizens that can live and work in this brave new world.

Three types of problem, and how to solve them

Peter Cripps comment , , ,
Image by Thanasis Papazacharias from Pixabay

We are all problem solvers. Whether it be trying to find our car keys, which we put down somewhere when we came home from work or trying to solve some of the world’s more gnarly issues like climate change, global pandemics or nuclear arms proliferation.

Human beings have the unique ability not just to individually work out ways to fix things but also to collaborate with others, sometimes over great distances, to address great challenges and seemingly intractable problems. How many of us though, have thought about what we do when we try to solve a problem? Do we have a method for problem solving?

As Albert Einstein once said: “We cannot solve our problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” This being the case (and who would argue with Einstein) it would be good to have a bit of a systematic approach to solving problems.

On the Digital Innovators Skills Programme we spend some time looking at types of problem as well as the methods and tools we have at our disposal to address them. Here, I’ll take a look at the technique we use but first, what types of problem are there?

We can think of problems as being one of three types: Simple, Complex and Wicked, as shown in this diagram.

3 Problem Types

Simple problems are ones that have a single cause, are well defined and have a clear and unambiguous solution. Working out a route to travel e.g. from Birmingham to Lands’ End is an example of a simple problem (as is finding those lost car keys).

Complex problems tend to have multiple causes, are difficult to understand and their solutions can lead to other problems and unintended consequences. Addressing traffic congestion in a busy town is an example of a complex problem.

Wicked problems are problems that seem to be so complex it’s difficult to envision a solution. Climate change is an example of a wicked problem.

Wicked problems are like a tangled mess of thread – it’s difficult to know which to pull first. Rittel and Webber, who formulated the concept of wicked problems, identified them as having the following characteristics:

  1. Difficult to define the problem.
  2. Difficult to know when the problem has been solved.
  3. No clear right or wrong solutions.
  4. Difficult to learn from previous success to solve the problem.
  5. Each problem is unique.
  6. There are too many possible solutions to list and compare.

Problems, of all types, can benefit from a systematic approach to being solved. There are many frameworks that can be used for addressing problems but at Digital Innovators we use the so called 4S Method proposed by Garrette, Phelps and Sibony.

The 4S Method is a problem-solving toolkit that works with four, iterative steps: State, Structure, Solve and Sell.

The 4S Method
  1. State the Problem. It might sound obvious but unless you understand exactly what the problem is you are trying to solve it’s going to be very difficult to come up with a solution. The first step is therefore to state exactly what the problem is.
  2. Structure the Problem. Having clearly stated what the problem probably means you now know just how complex, or even wicked, it is. The next step is to structure the problem by breaking down into smaller, hopefully more manageable parts each of which can hopefully be solved through analysis.
  3. Solve the Problem. Having broken the problem down each piece can now be solved separately. The authors of this method suggest three main approached: hypothesis-driven problem solving, issue-driven problem solving, or the creative path of design thinking.
  4. Sell the Solution. Even if you come up with an amazing and innovative solution to the problem, if you cannot persuade others of its value and feasibility your amazing idea will never get implemented or ever be known about. When selling always focus on the solution, not the steps you went through to arrive at it.

Like any technique, problem solving can be learned and practiced. Even the world’s greatest problem solvers are not necessarily smarter than you are. It’s just that they have learnt and practised their skills then mastered them through continuous improvement.

If you are interested in delving more deeply into the techniques discussed here Digital Innovators will coach you in these as well as other valuable, transferable business skills and also give you chance to practice these skills on real-life projects provided to us by employers. We are currently enrolling students for our next programme which you can register an interest for here.

Happy New Year from Software Architecture Zen.

Tech skills are not the only type of skill you’ll need in 2021

Peter Cripps comment, education , , ,
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Whilst good technical skills continue to be important these alone will not be enough to enable you to succeed in the modern, post-pandemic workplace. At Digital Innovators, where I am Design and Technology Director, we believe that skills with a human element are equally, if not more, important if you are to survive in the changed working environment of the 2020’s. That’s why, if you attend one of our programmes during 2021, you’ll also learn these, as well as other, people focused, as well as transferable, skills.

1. Adaptability

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world of work not just in the tech industry but across other sectors as well. Those organisations most able to thrive during the crisis were ones that were able to adapt quickly to new ways of working whether that is full-time office work in a new, socially distanced way, a combination of both office and remote working, or a completely remote environment. People have had to adapt to these ways of working whilst continuing to be productive in their roles. This has meant adopting different work patterns, learning to communicate in new ways and dealing with a changed environment where work, home (and for many school) have all merged into one. Having the ability to adapt to these new challenges is a skill which will be more important than ever as we embrace a post-pandemic world.

Adaptability also applies to learning new skills. Technology has undergone exponential growth in even the last 20 years (there were no smartphones in 2000) and has been adopted in new and transformative ways by nearly all industries. In order to keep up with such a rapidly changing world you need to be continuously learning new skills to stay up-to-date and current with industry trends. 

2. Collaboration and Teamwork

Whilst there are still opportunities for the lone maverick, working away in his or her bedroom or garage, to come up with new and transformative ideas, for most of us, working together in teams and collaborating on ideas and new approaches is the way we work best.

In his book Homo Deus – A Brief History of Tomorrow, Yuval Noah Harari makes the observation: “To the best of our knowledge, only Sapiens can collaborate in very flexible ways with countless numbers of strangers. This concrete capability – rather than an eternal soul or some unique kind of consciousness – explains our mastery over planet Earth.”

On our programme we encourage and demand our students to collaborate from the outset. We give them tasks to do (like drawing how to make toast!) early on, then build on these, leading up to a major 8-week projects where students work in teams of four or five to define a solution to a challenge set by one of our industry partners. Students tell us this is one of their favourite aspects of the programme as it allows them to work with new people from a diverse range of backgrounds to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems.

3. Communication

Effective communication skills, whether they be written spoken or aural, as well as the ability to present ideas well, have always been important. In a world where we are increasingly communicating through a vast array of different channels, we need to adapt our core communications skills to thrive in a virtual as well as an offline environment.

Digital Innovators teach their students how to communicate effectively using a range of techniques including a full-day, deep dive into how to create presentations that tell stories and really enable you to get across your ideas.

4. Creativity

Pablo Picasso famously said “Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up”.

As Hugh MacLeod, author of Ignore Everybody, And 39 Other Keys to Creativity says: “Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the ‘creative bug’ is just a wee voice telling you, ‘I’d like my crayons back please.’”

At Digital Innovators we don’t believe that it’s only artists who are creative. We believe that everyone can be creative in their own way, they just need to learn how to let go, be a child again and unlock their inner creativity. That’s why on our skills programme we give you the chance to have your crayons back.

5. Design Thinking

Design thinking is an approach to problem solving that puts users at the centre of the solution. It includes proven practices such as building empathy, ideation, storyboarding and extreme prototyping to create new products, processes and systems that really work for the people that have to live with and use them.

For Digital Innovators, Design Thinking is at the core of what we do. As well as spending a day-and-a-half teaching the various techniques (which our students learn by doing) we use Design Thinking at the beginning of, and throughout, our 8-week projects to ensure the students deliver solutions are really what our employers want.

6. Ethics

The ethical aspects on the use of digital technology in today’s world is something that seems to be sadly missing from most courses in digital technology. We may well churn out tens of thousands of developers a year, from UK universities alone, but how many of these people ever give anything more than a passing thought to the ethics of the work they end up doing? Is it right, for example, to build systems of mass surveillance and collect data about citizens that most have no clue about? Having some kind of ethical framework within which we operate is more important today than ever before.

That’s why we include a module on Digital Ethics as part of our programme. In it we introduce a number of real-world, as well as hypothetical case studies that challenge students to think about the various ethical aspects of the technology they already use or are likely to encounter in the not too distant future.

7. Negotiation

Negotiation is a combination of persuasion, influencing and confidence as well as being able to empathise with the person you are negotiating with and understanding their perspective. Being able to negotiate, whether it be to get a pay rise, buy a car or sell the product or service your company makes is one of the key skills you will need in your life and career, but one that is rarely taught in school or even at university.

As Katherine Knapke, the Communications & Operations Manager at the American Negotiation Institute says: “Lacking in confidence can have a huge impact on your negotiation outcomes. It can impact your likelihood of getting what you want and getting the best possible outcomes for both parties involved. Those who show a lack of confidence are more likely to give in or cave too quickly during a negotiation, pursue a less-aggressive ask, and miss out on opportunities by not asking in the first place”. 

On the Digital Innovators skills programme you will work with a skilled negotiator from The Negotiation Club to practice and hone your negotiation skills in a fun way but in a safe environment which allows you to learn from your mistakes and improve your negotiation skills.

What Are Digital Skills?

Peter Cripps comment , ,

Photo by Sabri Tuzcu on Unsplash
Photo by Sabri Tuzcu on Unsplash

There have been many, many reports both globally and within the UK bemoaning the lack of digital skills in todays workforce. The term digital skills is somewhat amorphous however and can mean different things to different people.

To more technical types it can mean the ability to write code, develop new computer hardware or have deep insights into how networks are set up and configured. To less digital savvy people it may just mean the ability to operate digital technology such as tablets and mobile phones or how to find information on the world wide web or even just fill out forms on web sites (e.g. to apply for a bank account).

A recent report from the CBI, Delivering Skills for the New Economy , which comes up with a number of concrete steps on how the UK might address a shortage of digital skills, suggests the following as a way of categorising these skills. Useful if we are to find way in which to address their scarcity.

  • Basic digital skills: Businesses define basic digital skills in similar terms. For most businesses this means computer literacy such as familiarity with Microsoft Office; handling digital information and content; core skills such as communication and problem-solving; and understanding how digital technologies work. This understanding of digital technologies includes understanding how data can be used to glean new insights, how social media provides value for a business or how an algorithm or piece of digitally-enabled machinery works.
    Basic digital skills: Businesses define basic digital skills in similar terms. For most businesses this means computer literacy such as familiarity with Microsoft Office; handling digital information and content; core skills such as communication
    and problem-solving; and understanding how digital technologies work. This understanding of digital technologies includes understanding how data can be used to glean new insights, how social media provides value for a business or how an algorithm or piece of digitally-enabled machinery works.
  • Advanced digital skills: Businesses also broadly agree on the definitions of advanced digital skills. For most businesses, these include software engineering and development (77%), data analytics (77%), IT support and system maintenance (81%) and digital marketing and sales (72%). Businesses have highlighted their increasing need for specific advanced digital skills, including programming, visualisation, machine learning, data analytics, app development, 3D printing expertise, cloud awareness and cybersecurity.
    It is important that a good grounding in the basic (core) skills is given to as many people as possible. The so called digital natives or “Gen Zs” (at least in first world countries) have grown up knowing nothing else but the world wide web, touch screen technology and pervasive social media. Older generations, less so. All need this information if they are to operate effectively in the “New Economy” (or know enough to actively disengage from it if they choose to do so).

The basic skills will also allow for a more critical assessment of what advanced digital skills should be considered if making choices about jobs or if people just need to understand what social media companies they should or should not be using or how artificial intelligence might affect their career prospects.

I would argue that a basic level of advanced digital knowledge is also a requirement so that everyone can play a more active role in this modern economy and understand the implications of technology.