The notion of “avoiding vendors lock-in” in information technology is interesting. I would argue that it’s impossible to completely be without some sort of vendor lock-in1. At some point, there is always a required commitment level. You commit to open-source software. You commit to a cloud vendor. You commit to a platform. I often give the example of a company building an application internally with a team of developers. In that scenario, the company is committing to something: the application, the data tied to it and its operational model. Continue reading →

My ChatGPT usage at work made me think about using GenAI in general. I came to the conclusion that you must be experienced in the field you are asking questions to be able to distinguish good answers from bullshit. My thought.

This morning, at work, I had the idea of creating a GPT that would act as a virtual resume for me. Colleagues would prompt this GPT about my professional journey with usual questions about my past experience, projects, certifications, abilities, etc. I uploaded a few files, including my resume and some other professional stuff, to try it out. It took me 15 minutes to create this virtual representation of myself. Tested many prompts against it. I’m blown away. The future is here, ladies and gentlemen.

Just like Steve Jobs once said that Dropbox is not a product but a feature, I wonder if the way we consume GenAI today makes it look like a product, but it’s actually a feature. Don’t get me wrong, GenAI is utterly important and a game changer, but I feel that in the future, there will be something bigger that will encompass GenAI that will actually be THE product. Continue reading →

Thought of the day: 500 years from now, when someone discovers a piece of plastic with a QRCode on it, intact and readable, I wonder what they will think of it and if they’ll try to “decode” the thing.

Just two hours in the work day and I have already used ChatGPT three times to better understand two different concepts in IT¹. Last year, these prompts would have required many Google searches and much more reading. I’m curious to see how ChatGPT and Gen AI are influencing Google’s market share.

Here is a quick recount of my “Ah ah moment” this morning, involving generative AI in a simple workflow. I’m still in awe about it. If I stumble on a long and chatty YouTube video that might be interesting, I’ll use this workflow to quickly get the gist out of it. First, I use Downie (a Mac utility) to download it on my M2 MacBook Air. Then, I use the Whisper Transcription Mac app to transcribe the spoken discussion into text that I export in a PDF1. Continue reading →

I’m generally unfazed by black Friday sales… I buy things when I need them, not because of any deals. But, this morning, I bought a Kodak slides scanner because I have hundreds of old family slides sitting in boxes. I feel sad not to spend the time to put a new life in those memories. So there you go, a new slide scanner. I’ll probably write an extensive review of it.

Which story is worse or more shattering? Steve Jobs fired in 1985, or OpenAI fired one of its founders? I think the latter creates more uncertainty. The former is easier to dismiss because we know what happened to Apple after Jobs left the company. 🤔 ¹

The more testing and experimenting I do with ChatGPT, the more I feel we are at an inflection point like Netscape or the iPhone was. We live in exciting and challenging times.

This:

Foreseeably, the next step in AI integration will happen on an OS level.

In the mean time, your app will always run an inferior version compared to whatever Microsoft's sells. If having ChatGPT is your sales point, you have no sales point. You only have a very volatile, very expensive ticking time bomb dependency.

On top of that, you corner yourself into dishonesty if you sell ChatGPT as your own AI. It's bullshit and you know it.

The proliferation of ChatGPT entry points. The race to some sort of singularity?

Musing of the day: Which is worse from an environmental point of view, burning the planet with NFTs / blockchains s*** or with AI with LLM models training and queries to ChatGPT?¹ 🤔

For those who are curious, I just updated “my Micro-Workflows Explained” page to list all my ChatGPT and AI use cases. I’m not shy to expose when I’m using AI in my creative work¹. The list of use cases is growing and reflects the relative invasion of AI in our digital landscape.

I want to augment my creative capabilities1. I’m considering the best way to pay for Augmented Intelligence (AI) services2. I’m currently subscribing to MidJourney for imagery. ChatGPT with GPT-4 is not cheap at 20 $US a month, but I get Dall.E 3. Raycast enables GPT-4 for 8 $US on top of my 8 $US, totalling 16 $US monthly, but I don’t get Dall.E 3. I prefer MidJourney over Dall.E 3 as it seems to allow more diversity in requests. Continue reading →

Today is a reminder that the internet is probably the worst place to have a debate. You would think that Mastodon or Bluesky or Thread are better than X, Y and Z? Nope. Same. Arguing the contrary is shortsighted. Even arguing in a text message conversation is not a good idea.

Thought of the day: read-later services or applications are a consequence of facing or having too much content available and a lack of time for consuming that content in a timely matter. ☝🏻

The usefulness of ChatGPT for me is as a replacement for using Google when I have to learn something new (eg an API). Formerly, I would have Googled, and then visited a bunch of results, and learnt a little on each page until I had built up an answer for myself.

I see ChatGPT as a Google mashup. It takes those Google results, and mixes them up to give me a more direct answer to my question. Previously, my own brain would have to do that mashup.

I do exactly the same but for a subject that I don’t really know. I’m curious to know if Google’s traffic is affected by this change of behaviour.

Since 9/11 in 2001, I look up every time I hear a plane in the sky. Every single time. And I’m Canadian. 😔 ¹

Om Malik on Threads capabilities in regards to sharing and consuming photo content: Threads, Twitter, & Social Photos

The design is particularly conducive to viewing photos. The white space, the way the photos are rendered, and the styling of photo collections enhance the overall presentation. The vibe on Threads is the polar opposite. Even John Gruber, a long-time critic of Facebook, has been vocal in his appreciation of this new product from the same company. It’s surprising to see him overlooking the poor privacy-related track record of the Facebook family.

and

Still, Threads offers photos and photographers a second chance to find a home beyond a dying Instagram.

I deeply respect Mr. Malik😒, but there is zero chance that fancy web design will erase Meta’s business practices and business model. I refuse to consider Threads as an alternative to Instagram. It’s a matter of time before Threads becomes another Instagram-type platform. Just wait for it. Now, excuse me, I have some photos to post on Glass and Pixelfed. Thank you. 😜

Has putting Apple silicon in the iPad set unrealistic expectations?

The Mac feels too much like a computer that has felt too overwhelming and the iPad is like the smartphone they have already been using.

At some point in the more or less distant future, the iPad form factor will take over. Just like cars took over trucks a long time ago. Just like most people use a smartphone as their main computer or as their only computer, the iPad will eventually be regarded as “a real computer”, the only computer, if people are willing to add something on top of their iPhone. One day.