Is POTUS Making AI America's New Secret Weapon? What You Need to Know About the Upcoming Executive Order!

President Biden is expected to sign an executive order that not only embraces AI as a national security tool but also throws in some guidelines to make sure companies are playing it safe. Kinda like giving a teenager the keys to the car but installing a speed governor—because, you know, we can't have AI go full "Terminator" on us.

Now, why is the White House suddenly throwing a party around "safe, secure and trustworthy AI"? Simple. The administration wants to keep the U.S. at the forefront of AI development, but they're also listening to tech execs who've been screaming for some rules around this rodeo. AI holds immense promise, but like anything powerful, it can also be a Pandora's Box. One minute it's sorting your emails; the next, it could be weaponized by some not-so-friendly folks.

Digging into the meat and potatoes of the order, it’s expected to give the National Institute of Standards and Technology a significant role in shaping industry benchmarks. You know, sort of like creating a five-star safety rating for AI so we know what we're dealing with. The government will also tighten its grip on the promises made by big tech companies, especially around—drum roll—national security. However, how much muscle the government can flex here without Congress' blessing is still up in the air.

Speaking of national security, part of the order could include a classified annex dealing with, well, classified stuff. Could be anything from AI analyzing intelligence reports to offensive cyber capabilities. And let's not forget, AI isn't just an American hero; it’s an international spy. It’s the double-edged sword that can be used to find security vulnerabilities and phishing scams, but can also be twisted to automate hacking attempts.

Anne Neuberger, the Deputy National Security Advisor, encapsulated this duality perfectly when she said AI is a "dual-use technology." It can be your cybersecurity savior or your worst nightmare if it falls into the wrong hands. Neuberger is tossing and turning at night pondering the 'what-ifs' of AI being used against us, so maybe we should be too.

The cherry on top? The executive order might put more pressure on China's AI development, especially when it comes to U.S. cloud computing. Yep, Uncle Sam wants to know who's cooking what in his kitchen. It's a move to ensure Chinese AI projects aren't slipping through the back door to access high-end U.S. tech.

This executive order is a monumental step, signaling that AI is not some sci-fi future—it's now, it's real, and it needs rules. It balances the sheer potential of AI with the sobering risks, aiming for a future where AI serves us, but doesn't rule us. And hey, if this gets the powers-that-be to start thinking more carefully about AI, I say, "Sign away, Mr. President."

AI Leadership Crisis: Why It’s Time for Every Business Leader to Step Up, Not Just the Techies

Alright, here's the lowdown, folks. AI is throwing a party, and it’s not just for the tech geeks hiding in server rooms anymore. According to Abbie Lundberg, the Editor-in-Chief of MIT Sloan Management Review, the AI wave is so massive it's spilling over traditional boundaries. Forget the notion that the CIO or IT exec is the lonely shepherd of all things algorithmic; we're in an era where basically everyone wearing a suit (or hey, even jeans) needs to jump in the AI pool.

So, what's the gig? Lundberg is saying that business leaders need to put on their game faces. We're talking about figuring out strategies, managing risks, and—hold onto your seat—actually caring about their employees in the grand scheme of AI integration. It’s not just about automating tasks and cutting costs. It's about being the Gandalf guiding the Fellowship, ensuring that AI is a force for good in your business realm.

And speaking of titles, they’re morphing faster than a Transformer. Alberto Yépez, co-founder at Forgepoint Capital, points out that the C-suite is getting some new pals. Enter the Chief Digital Officers, Chief Transformation Officers, and Chief Data Officers. These roles are designed to ensure AI isn't just a flashy tool but an integral part of the business strategy.

Darien Acosta, the Chief AI Officer at Cover Whale, is advocating for something he calls "AI cross-pollination." Catchy, right? He’s not talking about techies and business folks playing hopscotch together. He's advocating for integrating different departments into the AI conversation. So, your legal team, your marketing squad, and even your ethical philosophers (if you have those) need a seat at the AI table. The point? You get a more holistic AI strategy that doesn't just please the board but might actually make life better for both customers and employees.

You know how you can't imagine getting through a workday without your laptop? Well, Acosta is betting that pretty soon, AI will be just as indispensable. And as we get more comfortable with our new AI coworkers, new roles are bound to pop up. Think AI business strategists who make sure the algorithms align with business goals, or AI ethics officers ensuring Skynet remains the stuff of sci-fi.

So, if you’re still on the fence about AI, it's time to hop off. Whether you're a software guru, a legal eagle, or a marketing maven, AI has your name on it. Remember, this isn't a tech fad; it’s the evolution of how we work and live. It's high time everyone got in on the act to make sure AI isn’t just smart but also wise.

AI & Luxury: A Match Made in Authentication Heaven

TikTok's US shop is taking a significant step forward in the battle against counterfeit luxury items. They've partnered with Entrupy, an AI-powered authenticator, to ensure that the luxury handbags on their platform are the real deal. How's it done? Entrupy scans the item, captures microscopic images, and runs a comparison against a vast database of authentic and counterfeit products.

The Efficiency of the Process

Most items are authenticated within a 3-5 minute window. However, premium products, like Hermès, can take up to 24 hours. But with a 99.1% accuracy rate, Entrupy's method proves both reliable and efficient.

Human Expertise in the Mix

While AI plays a significant role, Entrupy's success also hinges on human expertise. The company collaborates with data scientists, engineers, and research experts to continually refine and improve the technology.

The Broader Scope of Counterfeit Combat

The fight against counterfeit luxury goods is vast, with the global counterfeit market valued between $1.7 to $4.5 trillion annually. Beyond handbags, Swiss foundation Origyn is pioneering authentication methods for luxury watches using AI, high-resolution cameras, and blockchain technology.

Brands Taking the Initiative

Major luxury brands aren't merely spectators. The Aura Consortium, which includes industry giants like LVMH and Mercedes-Benz, is proactively verifying items at the creation stage. These items are given unique digital IDs, tracing their origin and manufacturing process, ensuring transparency and traceability.

Prompt Engineering: The Unsung Heroes Behind AI's Linguistic Mastery

I wholeheartedly think prompt engineering is sticking around. I mean, we're talking about the sorcerers who give language models like ChatGPT the right cues to churn out responses that can range from mildly amusing to eerily accurate.

First off, let's squash the notion that prompt engineers are just glorified Googlers. Sure, language models are in many ways black boxes; you can feed them Shakespeare and occasionally get back gibberish. But that's where our prompt magicians come in. These are the folks making sure the AI doesn't tell you to use chicken stock when you clearly asked for a vegan recipe.

Victor Sanh from Hugging Face is right; the research to make these algorithms transparent is still in the "let's put a man on Mars" stage. So in the interim, prompt engineers act as the translators, making sure what you want to say and what the machine hears are in the same ballpark. They're not just feeding in prompts; they're doing domain-specific analyses and even weaving AI into existing software. That sounds like a lot more than a passing trend to me.

A quick Indeed search tells us there aren't a ton of roles dedicated solely to prompt engineering. Yet. But remember, we're in the early innings of the game. The space is shaping itself around real-time needs, like understanding ultra-recent queries to avoid embarrassing the algorithm with outdated information.

Let's also talk about that evolution. Stokes of PromptBase, the so-called "prompt marketplace," says it's all about trial and error. These engineers are fine-tuning every element in a sentence to get the model's output just right. It's like tuning a guitar, except the guitar can generate paragraphs about quantum physics.

Some critics say that prompt engineering could vanish as UIs for LLMs morph into something unrecognizable. But if that happens, I reckon we're just looking at a job title change. These skills will become prerequisite capabilities in fields that are currently undefined. Picture a future where knowing the art of prompt engineering is as basic as understanding how to navigate Excel.

Oh, and let's not forget security. We're already seeing red teams going to war against these models to identify safety limits. So even if "prompt engineer" becomes a retro term, the field will pivot into something equally vital.

Bottom line? If you ask me, prompt engineers are the Renaissance humans of the AI epoch—curious, adaptive, and always a step ahead.