johannes_erath

5/5 (2)

In my opinion, the most useful feature of GenAI is its versatility. It can be used for a vast number of different, unrelated tasks. For example, you can use it to brainstorm new ideas, get instant feedback on your work, get immediate help when you are stuck, or access a personalized tutor who is always available and never gets annoyed or tired of your questions.

My experience of using AI intensively began at the end of 2022 with the release of ChatGPT. Initially, it helped me with my writing assignments and explained difficult concepts in a more accessible way. However, GenAI tools have evolved significantly since then, to the point where they can mimic thinking processes in multiple steps and generate even more creative ideas by adjusting their temperature settings.

Despite all the benefits of generative AI, some of the tools don’t always provide accurate or fully understandable answers, which could cause problems when dealing with complex topics. Which is why I use different tools for different purposes.

Recently, I have narrowed down my use of AI to two main apps. If I need to ensure the output I get from AI is correct, I use Google’s NotebookLM, which allows you to upload your own sources from which it generates answers in the form of text, reports, mind maps, audio (podcasts) and, quite recently, video presentations.

However, when creativity is needed, I use Perplexity’s AI. Recently, I discovered that I can use AI to help me with the entire job-searching process. First, I utilise the fact that Perplexity knows a lot about me and send it on a quest to search the internet for open job offers that would suit me. After chatting with it, I decide on the most promising prospects and ask it to provide feedback on my CV and help me create motivational letters or cover letters. If I am invited to a job interview, I prepare by using the talk feature of Perplexity to interview me specifically for the job at hand.

I consider AI the perfect companion for things that require a second opinion or creating something quick and dirty that would have otherwise cost hours to research and put together manually.

Author: Johannes Erath 785513je

4/5 (1)

Everything we do online, from consuming content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Spotify, to creating our own content in the form of social media posts, stories, comments and memes, is owned by the platforms that host it (Dixon, 2024, p. 47). In most cases, these dominant tech giants, such as Google and Meta, control not only most of the market (‘Charted’, 2023) or what content / who we see, but also how much the original creator should be compensated (Nicholas, 2022). The idea that this model is unfair is gaining traction, and there is a growing consensus that our collective efforts should be directed towards creating a truly open and democratic internet. One of the main proponents of this approach is Christ Dixon, the author of ‘Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet’, who explains the desirable shift of the internet.

Essentially, Dixon outlines three eras of internet evolution. In the first era, anyone could freely access information (Dixon, 2024, p. 13). The second era (read-write) allowed users to create their own content via social networks or blogs (Dixon, 2024, p. 13). The problem was, and still is to some extent, the centralization of corporate networks, which grew dominant by storing and hosting user data and extracting high fees, which Dixon refers to as ‘take rates’. This concentration of power will now be broken down in the emerging third era of the internet (read-write-own). Using new blockchain-enabled technologies, users will be able to own a stake in the systems they build, enabling transparent and fair compensation (Dixon, 2024, p. 13). To illustrate the concept of blockchain-based applications, Dixon uses the example of an email system that eliminates centralised points of failure:

*Comparison of email stack to an example blockchain stack*
*(Dixon, 2024, p. 96)*

What I found particularly interesting while reading this book was how it changed my view of digital assets. When I was younger, the warning ‘You wouldn’t download a car’ at the beginning of many DVDs made me smile simply because it wasn’t possible, even if I had wanted to (haxorcat, 2007). However, in recent years, many of the assets we consume and interact with on a daily basis have moved into the digital realm — for example, e-books, music and video games — and suddenly, this old slogan seems truer than ever. As Dixon explains, when we ‘buy’ a game or a subscription to a streaming service, we don’t own anything but the licence to consume it, which can be revoked at any moment. This realisation makes the concept of blockchain-based ownership seem less futuristic and more like a necessity in my daily life.

I would love to hear your opinion. Do you also think that the concept of ownership on the web has got out of hand?

References:

Charted: Companies in the Nasdaq 100, by Weight. (2023, June 26). Visual Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/nasdaq-100-companies-by-weight/
Dixon, C. (2024). Read write own: Building the next era of the Internet (First edition). Random House.
haxorcat (Director). (2007, December 4). Piracy it’s a crime [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZm8vNHBSU
Nicholas, G. (2022, April 28). Shadowbanning Is Big Tech’s Big Problem. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/04/social-media-shadowbans-tiktok-twitter/629702/

Author: Johannes Erath 785513je

AI changed how I prepare for Job Interviews

25

Please rate this

We don’t own anything online – Time for change?

15

Please rate this