Tag: Pune

Is A Bot After Your Job?

Image: Robin Williams in the Bicentennial Man

Yuval Noah Harari paints an interesting and arguably grim picture of the future, in his book Homo Deus. He runs through possible ways in which the world and we humans might evolve.

To give you a glimpse, think of computer programs evolving at the blistering pace they are. From predicting our needs to seamlessly trying to simplify our lives of seemingly increasing complexity. And on the other side, think of technology we have been able to integrate with our bodies in the last few decades. From pacemakers, to prosthesis that can be controlled by our brain by simply connecting them to our body or head. Yuval’s picture of the future includes super-humans and machines; either or both of which can make us humans, redundant. It does undoubtedly paint a bleak picture in some ways.

A few decades ago, we felt mankind was unstoppable. Even as we raced at a feverish pace, to advance biotechnology and communication technology.

An amusing incident comes to mind. Back in 2011, I was overseeing strategy and marketing for an industrial robotics company out of Pune. One day, I was having a casual conversation with a senior industry acquaintance. I inquired about automation at his company factories, and if he’d want us to help them. He shook his head and said, “sir, don’t think we’ll be needing anymore robots on our production line. Two years ago, we invested over INR 2 crore in robots. They’re catching dust (and possibly rust), as our factory workers won’t allow them to be installed on the line.”

Back then, I laughed it off as a temporary attempt by the workers to delay the inevitable. Today, in the backdrop of the world population, I finally see the workers’ perspective.

According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study, the UK might lose 30% of its jobs to automation by early 2030s. Similarly, the 38% in the US, 35% in Germany 35%, and 21% in Japan. While the report says this loss will be offset by job gains elsewhere in the economy, I have serious doubts.

Till over a decade ago, one felt confident that creative jobs were safe from being wiped out by technology. Yet now, programs can compose captivating pieces of music, even create mesmerizing art! Back in 2009, Spanish researchers had developed ‘Inmamusys’, a program that could create music in response to emotions that arise in the listener. And robots have been employed in the food industry since quite some time.  Now, it’s tough to list even a few jobs that seem shielded from future robots being built to get them.

Rainbow Smoke‘ – made by an algorithm written by Hungarian programmer József Fejes in 2014

Looking at the pace of technology, only someone lacking imagination, could assume mankind will be unaffected by robots. But while humans push their abilities through newer boundaries in pursuit of their growing imagination and potential, one wonders, what happens once humans have created a higher being.

While the fate of the human race need not follow the plot of the Terminator series, what remains to be found out, is what the ever-growing population will do to stay relevant?

Look forward to your views. If you enjoyed reading this, do follow/ subscribe to my blog (top right) for topics that encourage reflection and discussion. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Business – whenever, wherever

If you got to start your business, you can’t always wait for real estate prices to be right.

Sometimes, you just start..Wherever.!

(Saw this on some random inner road on the outskirts of Pune)

For those still wondering, that is a car covered with clothes that a man is trying to sell to passers by.

And while I was there only for a minute or two, while trying to make a u-turn as I was a little lost, he did have a few customers.!

Pretty cool huh?!

Worth a Thousand Words

Worth a Thousand Words

A picture, it is said, is worth a thousand words.

In the past few months, I have taken a few which, I’ll say, left me totally speechless.

#7 Somewhere in Rajasthan, left turn’s not free, they say..

#6 This one was at the entrance to a mall in Jaipur. Firearm not allowed.! Sounded like something straight out of the good ol’ West.

#5 This one’s all about having something to offer at various price points… Car with body colored side-view mirrors, car without body colored side-view mirrors; juice from a mixer, juice from a juicer… take your pick! Reminds me, I’ve even seen one on a menu card at some shady restaurant, Chicken with bone, Chicken without bone. All us well-fed, comfortable living, taking-everything-for-granted city folk don’t know much about all the limitless possibilities offered in smaller towns. This one was at a nice joint on the outskirts of Mangalore.

#4 The world as we know it…

#3 In a shopping complex in Pune. Whoever thought of this, obviously, does not think too much.

#2 This one was in some small town on the outskirts of Pune. The residents must live in fear.

#1 This one takes the cake and the bakery with it. They say even the Almighty can’t understand women. At least these folks are giving it a shot.

Ok… Apologizes everyone. You know how life is, right? Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something better, or worse, hits you in the face. Well, I just found our new #1. Its a restaurant I had the fortune of visiting on the outskirts of Pune, a couple of days ago. The menu card had some very interesting dishes to offer.

(guess the chicken is a resident of the place, hence the apt ‘lastname’. Its funny how I’d cross this place every other day and wonder how the food might be, considering the fancy cars and huge waiting outside. Now I wonder if the crowd was only to check out the menu 😉  And if you thought that’s all they had on the menu, you aint seen nothing yet)

The winner (picture from the same menu) is……

 I’d like to add though, the food was quite alright, it’s the swallowing while laughing that was becoming a problem.

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Look forward to your views. And if you liked this one, consider following/subscribing to my blog (top right of the page). You can also connect with me on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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