This too shall pass ...

Greetings

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Mid last year, I wrote a mini AI rant newsletter, Is AI really going to take over? The truth of the matter is, in this world of too much information, it is easy to get caught up in hype without actually understanding the basis of the hype because most of it is communicated in jargon that I, as a layperson, do not understand. I have tried to read up on AI on the internet but, once again, there is so much information, it is hard to distill.

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Arthur Goldstuck has written the perfect book for those of us still trying to figure out this whole AI thing titled The Hitchhiker’s Guide To AI. I am nearly finished reading the book. It takes you from the basics of AI, Machine Learning, etc into how it is being used, applied, etc across the world, including in Africa. I am now trying to get my sixteen year old son to read it. Wish me luck.

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Reading Arthur’s book has me contemplating getting back into writing about technology, although I am still trying to figure out what the entry point would be. Tech writing in the age of speed: how to catch up and stay relevant.

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It is common knowledge that I am a huge believer in the power of journalling, regardless of what method or approach you use. I do Morning Pages on most days and have been doing so relatively consistently for at least six years. I suspect I have shared these thoughts numerous times in this newsletter: The power of journalling.

I also constantly look out for different ways of journalling and came across this dope post from Jillian Hess.

Re-Noted: 6 Ways to Use a Diary

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I grew up in Lesotho where soil erosion/land degradation continues to be a serious challenge. Recently, I was reminded of how one year, in high school, for community service, we went out and planted a bunch of tree seedlings on National Tree Planting Day - yes it is a thing - which is on March 21st. I have no idea whether any of those actually grew. What revoked this memory was the short film on The Forest Man of India.

Watching the film, I couldn’t help but wonder what problems we could solve if we had even half is dedication and commitment. Side note. Johannesburg, which is considered by some to be the ‘largest man-made urban forest’ with over 10 million trees. We could do more to ensure that previously neglected areas, like the townships, have more trees.

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I was introduced to the music of Kenya’s Just A Band by a good friend. A couple of years later, after they have broken up, I met Blinky Bill at Design Indaba in Cape Town where he was deejaying and I was one of the hosts. I followed his work closely after that, interacting with him on social media until, by a wonderful twist of fate, he ended up coming over for dinner at my home, which lead to him coming onto my podcast for a chat.

As one of his many fans, I have been waiting for new music and it is finally here. The 16 track We Cut Keys 2 does not disappoint and has made the wait worth it. OkayAfrica also did a nice feature on Blinky, the album and his musical journey in The Return of Kenya’s Daring Rulebreaker, Blinky Bill.

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In the Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI, Arthur Goldstuck’s twin brother Charles contributed a chapter titled The AI Future of Music. After sharing a history of the music industry and its relationship with technology, he poses the following question towards the end of the chapter: “So, will the industry evolve to continue harnessing the power of adaptive and generative artificial intelligence, or will it once again resist until forced to capitulate?”

A day after I read that, Universal Music Group put out a statement threatening to cease licensing music to TikTok and TikTok Music Services.

Interesting times ahead.

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I have this clip saved and I go back to it often to remind myself that This Too Shall Pass.

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That’s it for today. Please share, subscribe and/or comment.

Also, you can check out my podcast and book Listen To Your Footsteps on my website.

Easy

Kojo