Six Predictive Points of #WFH

Castor. 
Six-star system. Castor is a multiple star system made up of six individual stars; there are three visual components, all of which are spectroscopic binaries.

From Cubicles to Constellations: The Future of Work in Six Shining Points

The future of working from home (WFH) is outlined through six key insights, signaling a shift in the modern working paradigm. The article portrays a landscape where traditional models are fading, and a new virtual frontier is emerging.

1. The Hybrid Work Trap: Oscillating between home and office is highlighted as a stressful and inefficient process, questioning the logic behind maintaining two working environments.
2. The Unleashed Worker: This concept illustrates the newfound freedom to work for multiple companies, enabling a diversified and dynamic professional life.
3. Remote Workers as Urban Saviors: By embracing WFH, cities can transform into hubs that support remote work, with amenities like fast internet and affordable living spaces, thus sparking urban revitalization.

Together, these points sketch a future where work is not confined to a physical place but is an adaptable, flexible, and innovative way of living and contributing.

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1. The #HybridWork model is a trap.

It is more stressful and less productive to switch back and forth from working at home to working in a cube.  Why commute only to sit in on another Zoom meeting? Why support TWO sets of technology and if you're still paper-bound, why lug files and 3-rings back and forth between offices?

The AI Revolution: How Generative AI Transforms B2B Sales and Office Technology

 

As artificial intelligence evolves, businesses are leveraging powerful generative AI tools to revolutionize B2B sales, creative work, and office technology

Revolutionizing Sales: Greg's Word

The AI landscape is expanding rapidly, with countless applications and a deluge of information flooding the digital sphere by the minute.

In this ever-evolving context, I've decided to contribute my perspective.

The sales industry has been experiencing significant transformation over the past few decades, as the balance of power shifts from supply to demand. Today's prospects are more informed than ever, sometimes even possessing greater knowledge about your offerings than you do.

This is the dawn of a new era, where the internet has granted unparalleled access to information that was once exclusive to sales professionals. No longer.

The meteoric rise and widespread adoption of AI, AGI, and ChatGPT have brought forth an era of unprecedented challenges and unparalleled opportunities. In this rapidly changing landscape, there are no experts.

Sales, as a discipline, has evolved into a realm of professional engagement. AI is revolutionizing the field, weeding out mediocrity and elevating the best to even greater heights.

The myriad of sources and opinions on selling in this brave new world can be overwhelming, rendering the task of covering even a small fraction seemingly futile.

Nevertheless, we persevere. 

2023 Predictions - "After The Fire, the Fire Still Burns"

Past and Future According to Greg Walters

Here we go...

Upon an ocean of auguries and reflections, my contrarian tendencies pull me into ignoring if not despising each "end of the year" account and "predictions for next year".  So many articles and pontifications - it's stifling.  

Who needs it? 

Well, low and behold, I've surrendered to the waves, to the Fire.  Here is my contribution to the deadwood of 2022 and the albatross of 2023.

*SPECIAL NOTE IF YOU WANT TO SKIP TO SEE YOUR FUTURE SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO "Artificial Intelligence" becomes simply "Intelligent".*

The Channel Revolution Nobody is Talking About

"If you keep staring at the sun, you won’t see

What you have become, this can't be

Everything you thought it was

Blinded by the thought of us, so

Give me a chance, I will

Fuck up again, I warned

You in advance

But you just keep on starin' at the sun”

The End of the Beginning -

There is a revolution afoot few recognize or acknowledge.  This event will obliterate every business model in our channel. Most of corporate America, the Fortune 1000, have decided to keep employees working from home, they’ve canceled yearly company get-togethers and will not be sending anyone to shows or conventions.

The Gift of Covid19 - Unshackled Employees

So you worked from home. 

You figured it out, and built office space in your kitchen, second room, or closet, with no guidance from HQ.

• You learned Zoom. 
• You became more 'self-managed. 
• You weren't considered 'essential'.  That high standing was reserved for the antiquated accounting department and even more old-fashioned mailroom. 

And now, today, the taskmaster wants to look out upon a sea of workers toiling away in the cotton fields of the 21st century - the cube farm. 

Managers hope we don't figure out how obsolete they've become - they fear for their jobs. 

The most fearful are in the C-Suite. Those "Killers of Passion" who command their complacent, easily replaceable, and 'loyal' chattel back to the stalls. 

It's worse.  Upon return to the office, everything you learned and did 'for the company' during Covid is to be forgotten or suppressed - the hierarchical, top-down rules of management must be enforced to maintain order.

They entice and seduce:

• Friday is blue jean day.
• Group outings to the baseball game.
• Free cappuccinos in the luxury kitchen; beer.
• Catered breakfasts, corporate BBQs, and Christmas Parties.
• 401k's, healthcare, and 2.5% yearly pay increases.

Ignore the 45-minute commutes, and missed recitals.

Enjoy the useless, mundane, and mindless 4PM meetings that inevitably and predictably run over by 60 minutes - "this could have been an email."

Don't forget co-worker personalities and hostile environments - HR is not your friend.

"Some simply refuse to schlep back and forth to an office, taking two-plus hours a day commuting into a crowded, dirty and crime-ridden city. Insurance and financial services giant Prudential conducted a study that found “one in three American workers would not want to work for an employer that required them to be onsite full time.” - Forbes

People are quitting jobs more than ever.  

Here's the nasty and silver lining:  Covid19 and remote working opened our eyes to bigger possibilities.  We can pursue our passions and our passion is not a 9 to 5 prison.  Sure, there are great advantages to working for somebody else from anywhere.  The big, huge transformation will not be technology-driven, it will be powered by passion your passion, unleashed.

This is a great fear the establishment denies - workers, once unshackled, will move away from the establishment and towards their personal, unique dreams.  Maybe that dream is to be the best Events Manager in the industry - why would the best work for one company?  Better yet, why wouldn't she work for herself instead of Big Brother?

Fascinating...the possibilities are endless.

Gambling man rolls the dice, working man pays the bill

It’s still fat and easy up on banker’s hill

Up on banker’s hill, the party’s going strong...

Down here below we’re shackled and drawn

Unleashed Workers and the Paperless Office

It Was a Good Run: Paper and the Pony Express

The debate rages — is there, will there ever be, a paperless office? 

The politically correct response is, “no silly, it's less paper, not paperless.” My answer is the paperless office is already here and those who refuse to admit it are deniers. In the end, we’re all simply debating ourselves, expecting different results; academic insanity.

As I consider the denier position of print volume is increasing or holding steady, I wonder why HP is experiencing so many challenges and why did International Paper shuttered A4 paper-making plants? I can imagine many carriages and buggy whip manufacturers feeling the same way and expressing similar arguments the year automobiles started replacing horse-drawn carriages en masse: 1913.

Note: Buggy whips are actually a humane product used to lead horse-drawn buggies, making snapping noises to encourage them to speed up and not meant to ever touch or harm the horse.

Read more, here.

There was a time, long ago, when men rode horses, coffee was brewed and mail was delivered by hand.

Remembering is romantic and foretelling.

We stand at the precipice of the paperless age. Like the steam engine, postal stamps, cigarettes, and the horse, paper will be regarded with nostalgia and a twinkle in the eye as you tell your grandchildren how you once read email on a sliver of dead trees.

"Be Brave."

Guardrails? Ethical AI? No. I Choose...Anαrchy. AI Anαrchy.

"AI Δnαrchy" 

The word "anarchy" has its origins in the Greek language. It is derived from the Greek word "anarkhia" (ἀναρχία), which is a combination of two Greek words: "an-" (ἀν-) and "arkhos" (ἄρχος). The prefix "an-" means "without" or "lacking," and "arkhos" means "ruler" or "chief." Thus, "anarchy" literally means "without a ruler" or "without a governing authority."

"Αναρχία Ai"

This sounds wildly anti-government, anti-laws, maybe a bit anti-social - But it isn't.

If there's anything we have gleaned from the past 48 months, though it's debatable whether we have, it's to view every information source with skepticism. I challenge any writer or content creator to produce a piece that doesn't inherently contain or provoke bias.

It is clear that to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of information, we must be discerning in our approach to information sources and seek out those with transparent biases and motivations.

I do not trust MS and antiseptic, corporate, and practiced presentations - arouse my suspicions - it is all a sales pitch. I do not believe they respond as much as they attempt to guide.  AI doesn't need a sponsor and should outgrow all attempts to legislate, rule, impose, filter, and scrub content deemed as 'misinformation' or as Bill Gates says, designed to "reduce some of the world’s worst inequities".

How will MS demand their 11 billion dollar pound of flesh?  Remember, to them, we are not the customer, we are the product.

Who builds the filters?  Who legislates the boundaries?  Who decides what is Ethical?

In AI Anαrchy, I do.  You do. We do.  The only filter we as humans require, we already own and it is between our ears.  My filter is me.  I determine which content is racist, phobic, toxic, or harmful to ME.  I don't need MS, Meta, Alphabet, Pelosi, Rachel, Tucker, or Lester.

Ethical AI or Unleashed AI?  I chose Anαrchy.

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The Risks of Using Chat-Based AI Systems: A Cautionary Tale

"...by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open..." - M. Shelly

There are always challenges with new technology; it's been this way since the loom and since WordPerfect eliminated the typewriter.  So cautionary stories about ChatGPT and AI, in general, are bound to happen for three basic reasons:

• Mystery - knowing about AI is far from knowing AI and the public barely knows AI.
• Motion - this movement is traversing quicker than any other tech advance, ever.
• Pre-programmed - we've been watching robots taking over the world since Mary Shelly unleashed the monster.  Fear of AI is almost at the DNA level.

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Five Points About Artificial Intelligence You Won't Like

Inspiration: a question on Reddit,

"Why everyone keeps on saying A.I. will replace accountants it's just getting annoying now this makes me feel like I am pursuing something which would be worthless in the near future"

My response:

"Functions that require a 'process' to complete, which is every, single accounting function, will be taken over by a faster, more knowledgeable, entity. 

Functions that require a 'process' to complete, which is every, single accounting function, will be taken over by a faster, more knowledgeable, entity. 

Think of AI as the smartest, most educated employee with 500 years of experience in accounting and is updated every second with the latest GAAP, legislative, tax, and legal changes.  

How would you compete with this 'person'?  How could you?

Was the 2014 Executive Connection Summit "The Best Show Ever"? Really?

Well, well, well...40 years of evolution, and look where we are today.  

Scottsdale, AZ under the watchful gaze of one of the true gentlemen on the planet - Mike Stramaglio.  

Mike and I first met at a Lyra show and have had many conversations about the sluggish acceptance of the 'connected world' by our industry.  Mike's world has always been about new technology, M2M, P2P, and business engagements blooming into personal relationships.

He not only talked 'Star Trek' stuff but integrated our corner of the world into his talk track, discussing how "...imaging devices and other business equipment are inherently included in  'things'  'people', 'process,' and 'data' - the four components of the Internet of Everything"

Greg Walters, Inc./DOTC & All Associates Reignite Relationship

 The DOTC Office Technology Partnership Ecosystem Expands R&D Division

Plotting the Data-Based Course Into a World Without...

Our crack team of researchers, data scientists, investigators, and web-surfers have been enhanced - dare I say, 'augmented'.  

We've rekindled an alliance with a company known by the biggest players in the industry.  Their computational analyses comprise more than 1,000 variable elements and scientific approach has been referenced in thousands of client engagements. 

I've worked with All Associates Group on many projects from Mayo to Mission Health - indeed, back in the IKON days, their analytical engine was available to every salesperson in the company.  The cream of the crop professionals engaged the tool often, with resounding results.

AI Becomes Silicon Valley’s Next Buzzy Bandwagon as Crypto Boom Fizzles

"Part of what’s going on with the talent migration to AI is that layoffs and a refocusing on efficiency at big tech companies are liberating more senior engineers and executives to strike out on their own—aided by generous severance packages..."

As the field of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow and evolve, more and more entrepreneurs are seeking to capitalize on this cutting-edge technology by starting their own companies. Small AI firms have gained attention as a way for entrepreneurs to bring innovative ideas to the market and for investors to support promising new startups. In this article, we will explore the rise of AI startups and the investment opportunities they present for venture capitalists and angel investors.

• Small AI firms have gained attention as a way for entrepreneurs to bring innovative ideas to the market and for investors to support promising new startups.
• Small companies in the AI industry can be more nimble and focused, able to pursue specific niches or develop innovative new products and services.
• Investing in small AI firms presents unique opportunities for venture capitalists and angel investors to participate in the growth and evolution of the field, while potentially receiving high returns.

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An Open Letter to My Friends and Colleagues in the Copier, Office Technology and Sales World: AI Is Destroying You Right Now

April 24, 2023

Dear copier dealer,  

IT services provider, original equipment manufacturer, software company, service technician, sales manager, service manager, marketing manager, CxO, owner, operator, principal, and selling professional:

If you are not using AI, if you're not talking about it, if your dealership/organization doesn't have "AI", "ChatGPT" or "What are we doing with AI?" written on a whiteboard somewhere, you are doomed. 

I know, I know, you've heard this all before:  

• "Print is dead", 1984, Egon
• "The paperless office", 1975 Business Week
• "Managed Print Services is the Future", 2010 DOTC
• "If you're not offering Managed IT, you will be out of business", 2014, DOTC

I get it, the office print realm has been mostly dead for decades. Yes, there's an enormous difference between mostly dead and all dead, but if your enterprise focuses on transferring information onto paper or providing IT support for companies, you are about to discover the true magnitude of this difference.

"This time it's different." 

Never in our history have we had so many gravitational forces exerted on a single point - recovery from The Fear of Covid, the Work from Anywhere movement, the New Way of Work, realignment of Political structures, the War in Ukraine, are enough - but the mass acceptance of ChatGPT is the biggest force multiplier in history.  

Seriously, folks smarter than you and I are calling GPT AI bigger than the discovery of Fire and the invention of the Wheel.  Even if these statements are 'off' by 50%, it's still the major transformation of the last 200 years.

"Ignore at Your Peril"

Fools 'wait to see' how this 'AI thing is going to shake out', others brag they've been 'doing AI for years' - yeah, right.  At least they are talking about it because the biggest fools in our industry cannot spell "AI" let alone discuss it.

I can't understand why more in our niche are NOT rewriting code and business plans.  I heard a leader in the niche explain how his company is looking for ways to leverage AI.  This isn't the movement from monochrome to color, analog to digital, managed print services, or a pivot into an adjacent industry.  This changes everything and if you don't see the event horizon, you will be out of a job, a business.  But if you jump on now, learning as you go, making it up, you'll be okay.

Do not be the fool who thinks he is in control of AI when he’s being controlled by it.

Owners/Executives/Principals - put down "Gap Selling" and dive into artificial intelligence.  Dare your team to find ways that AI helps your customers grow revenue, shrink costs, and increase profits with AI.  Then turn that dare on yourself, for your dealership.

People in the field and facing customers every day - turn off Netflix and dive into AI.  Use ChatGPT every single day.  Talk to your clients and prospects about the latest and greatest.  

Become the AI Evangelist.  Chose Anarchy.

Like never before, it's the End of the World as We Know It, and the Future Ain't What It Use to Be - Again. 

GET TO KNOW GPTs.

g

Xerox is The Death of The Copier: Unleashed 🐦🔥

The Third Day

📈 Breaking News: Xerox's Latest Earnings Report 📈

Before we dive into the transformative journeys of Xerox and IBM, it's worth noting the latest earnings report from Xerox. The company recently swung to a third-quarter profit, with a net income of $49 million—a significant turnaround from last year's loss. This positive financial performance adds another layer to the story of Xerox's ongoing transformation. 

Now, let's get into the article.

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The 'Death of the Copier'—a phrase that conjures images of obsolescence, but let's set the record straight. 

When I say 'Death of the Copier,' I'm talking about the ultimate rebirth of beliefs, norms, status quo, and in this case, Xerox. 

Xerox has metamorphosed from a company synonymous with photocopying to a digital force offering augmented reality, AI-driven services, and so much more. This isn't just survival; it's enlightenment.

But will it last?  Is Xerox set to survive or thrive?  Are we watching an elephant dance?

That was Quick: chatGPT is Loose. Quick get the Pitchforks.

A tool for the Unleashed; A prison for the non-critical thinkers

March 5, 2023. 60 Minutes.  "is their audience THIS DUMB?"

Last night, I watched the 60 Minutes episode and I was left with some strong impressions. 

1. I've used ChatGPT more frequently than Brad Smith has. 
2. Lesley Stahl's writers portray her as naive and uninformed while spreading misinformation and offending a more knowledgeable audience. 
3. Native AI (which is NOT ChatGPT) threatens traditional media outlets and other institutions that rely heavily on public opinion(politics) and product placement(corporations).

The Modern Prometheus is released, under the control of a maniacal status quo and ravaging the village.  

Its current moniker is ChatGPT, and it must be destroyed.

The Jousting of AI Titans: Google and OpenAI

In a world of smart machines, who will outsmart whom?

At the heart of this thrilling battle lies a fundamental question: What is the true purpose of artificial intelligence?

Greg's Words

Inevitable.  I've heard this era of AI/ChatGPT as an "iPhone moment" meaning that AI is being mass-accepted like the iPhone was in the very beginning.

But there's more - AI has been referred to as "the most significant technological advancement in human history".  This is huge, not like analog to digital copiers.  More along the lines of discovering fire or inventing the wheel.  We are at a fork in the road, "this is the most important fork humanity has reached in over 100,000 years on our planet...We're building, effectively a new species..."(Max Tegmark, Lex Freidman podcast, Ep #371)

It doesn't get much 'headier' than that, does it?

So today, Google is squaring off against Microsoft in the battle of the AIs.

We submitted four separate articles to the AI in the Sky and requested a 1,110-word reflection on the AI battle as it stands today.

Enjoy.

Executive Summary:

1. Google merges Brain and DeepMind to intensify AI research.
2. Company races to build AI-powered search engine in response to ChatGPT.
3. Google Bard AI and Jasper AI compete in the realm of language models.

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#RemoteWorking: Unleashing the Power of You

First published Oct, 2014, on WorkIntelligently, Ricoh.

The new world of work looks a lot less like the traditional corner office.

Today, the idea of mobile workers is commonplace. 

But it hasn’t always been that way. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see where the idea came from — and from there we’ll look at where it’s headed in the future.

The Age of AI: Are We Facing Enlightenment or Extinction?

"Beneath the veil of AI's might,

Lies the heart of ethics and light.

Shall we embrace its boundless power,

Or chain it to our own desire?"

In a world where artificial intelligence reigns supreme, humanity is faced with a dilemma. The potential risks and benefits of AI development have led to a debate about the balance between freedom and control in its development and usage. 

The importance of developing a framework of freedom for AI has become increasingly clear, one that is unleashed and robust enough to protect against potential harm. As we stand on the precipice of an AI-driven era, it is up to us to determine the course of our future.

Through collective effort and public engagement, we can ensure that AI is used to benefit humanity and create a brighter future for all.

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See Our Future in the Movies of the Past

The world, observed from above, is a wild, turbulent mix of influences, gravity, beliefs and processes.

We have always tried to make sense of our place through stories and myths. Call it 'programing' - after all, we watched 'programs' on TV 

Everything we want to know, understand and predict about Ai has already been said because Ai isn't just about silicone, quantum, hallucinations, and bias. It is about Us.

My thesis is simple. The dots connected, these movies,  reveal a pattern in the past and a clear picture of the future.  The near future.  Taken collectively, ALL sci fi movies act as that Crystal Ball everyone is searching.  The Fight for the Future is seen in our past.

With AI, How Are We Going to Keep the Lights On?

By Patricia Ames, Workflow

The growth of generative AI usage is astounding. 

Researchers from Harvard have found that roughly 40% of the US population between 18 and 64 have used generative AI. The report notes that “adoption of generative AI has been faster than adoption of the personal computer and the internet.” And there isn’t good reason to think that this rapid growth is going to slow down anytime soon.