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Home ›› Artificial Intelligence ›› In the Garden of Hyperautomation

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In the Garden of Hyperautomation

by Henry Comes-Pritchett
25 min read
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AI Tale of Two Topias

An odyssey exploring two possible outcomes for civilization as conversational AI takes hold—one brimming with the bright possibilities of user-controlled data, the other, decidedly dystopian.

Whether you’re hip to it or not, conversational AI—which is really the sequencing of technologies like NLU/NLP, code-free programming, RPA, and machine learning inside of organizational ecosystems—has already begun reshaping the world at large. Unsurprisingly, we’re seeing this primarily in business settings. Lemonade, a tech- and user-centric insurance company is upending its industry by providing customers with a rewarding experience buying insurance that’s facilitated by Maya, an intelligent digital worker described as “utterly charming” that can quickly connect dots and get customers insured. Maya is essentially an infinitely replicable agent that is always learning and doesn’t make the same mistake twice. Compare that with whatever it costs Allstate to retain more than 12,000 agents in the US and Canada who are likely using outdated legacy systems and it’s clear to see which way ROI is trending. 

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post authorHenry Comes-Pritchett

Henry Comes-Pritchett

Henry is a burgeoning philosopher and graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Linguistics and published an undergraduate thesis titled Risky Simulations. He hopes to illuminate the intersections between computational linguistics, metaphysics, and user experience to reveal things interesting about the world, ourselves, and the awakening era of conversational intelligence. Henry is driven by the mysteries of the mind and language and finds endless motivation in the strangeness.

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Ideas In Brief
  • Henry Comes-Pritchett explores two possible futures of hyperautomation: a self-custodial utopia, and a data-driven dystopia.
  • Comes’-Pritchett takes readers on a journey inspired by a sneak peek at, Age of Invisible Machines, an upcoming book by celebrated tech leader and design pioneer, Robb Wilson.
  • A philosophical treatise starts an odyssey that spans the breadth of possible civilizations, meeting the average people that inhabit them and observing their trials and tribulations.
  • The reader is ultimately left to decide what state of affairs they would prefer, with a call to action inviting those willing to change the world to start doing the work now.

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