Why Generative AI Is Missing from CEOs’ Top Priorities

For me, it’s truly puzzling why Generative AI hasn’t made it into the top five priorities on CEOs’ agendas, considering it’s the most disruptive technology of the last 20 years. There’s a striking disconnect between the hype and investment we see in the tech sector compared to its adoption in other industries. Several factors may explain this gap. Many members of the C-suite, including CIOs, lack the technical acumen to fully comprehend the transformative potential of Generative AI. Additionally, the risk-reward calculus of large organizations often leans heavily toward minimizing risks, even at the cost of forgoing significant rewards. An insightful article by The Economist (linked below) delves into this fascinating conundrum. (text revised by a LLM) https://www.economist.com/business/2024/11/04/why-your-company-is-struggling-to-scale-up-generative-ai

- Pedro

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The 2024 Best Books by the Economist → Biography and Memoir

The 2024 Best Books by the Economist → Biography and Memoir 1- The Editor. By Sara Franklin 2-Kingmaker. By Sonia Purnell 3-Maurice and Maralyn. By Sophie Elmhirst 4-Metamorphoses. By Karolina Watroba 5-One Way Back. By Christine Blasey Ford 6-One Way Back. By Christine Blasey Ford 7-Troubled. By Rob Henderson 8-Wild Thing. By Sue Prideaux All added to my wishlist. You might find 1/2 that catches your attention. https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/11/22/the-best-books-of-2024-as-chosen-by-the-economist

- Pedro

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Exploring Tomorrow: A Review of "The Future with Hannah Fry"

I just finished Bloomberg's series The Future with Hannah Fry, which I highly recommend (link below). Each episode is only 25 to 30 minutes long, covering important topics for the near future in a relaxed yet insightful way. The topics include: 1-The 150-Year Life – Examining age-extension technologies. 2-Emotional Recognition – Exploring technology that reads emotions. 3-Weaponization of Data – Looking into the misuse of data and its implications. 4-Nuclear Fusion – Investigating nuclear fusion as a potential clean energy source. 5-Social Inclusion with Tech and AI – How technology supports people with disabilities. 6-Rewilding – The role of rewilding in conservation efforts. 7-Super Intelligence – The possibilities and risks of advanced AI. 8-Animal Communication – Using AI to interpret animal communication. 9-Quantum Arms Race – Exploring the potential impacts of quantum computing. 10-Pain – Innovative methods to understand and manage pain. 11-The Next Billion – The impact of internet expansion in developing regions. 12-Water – Addressing water scarcity and related geopolitical issues. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! https://www.bloomberg.com/originals/series/the-future-hannah-fry

- Pedro

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The Joy of Reading: How to Foster Good Reading Habits in Children

A very interesting FT article discusses how to create good and sustainable reading habits for your children and highlights its importance. The key, unsurprisingly, is that they enjoy reading. However, this enjoyment must be relevant compared to other available options. In economic terms, the utility of reading should be at least as high as that of substitute activities like video games. Achieving this balance can be challenging. To foster a love for reading, we need to carve out time in their schedules, starting with 15 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week. It’s important to select books that might pique their interests. Creating a family Book Club to discuss the books read, where everyone shares their opinions, can make reading a fun family activity. Additionally, making books readily available at home and visiting libraries together can help integrate reading into their daily lives. https://www.ft.com/content/e3878e7e-459b-43aa-a663-ef8e407012a3

- Pedro

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Insights from Episode 1 of Boss Class: Essential Lessons on Leadership and Management

As promised a couple of months ago (see my previous note below), I’m beginning to share the key insights from each episode (7 episodes + 5 interviews) of The Economist's podcast series Boss Class. Episode 1 - "Weed it and Reap" 1-Management Over Leadership: Management includes leadership but goes beyond it to encompass planning, organizing, and controlling—all equally essential to success. 2-Leading by Example: Pep talks have limited impact outside the meeting room. True inspiration comes from leading by example. 3-Systems and Processes are Essential: Successful leadership requires setting up systems and processes, with clear rules and checkpoints to measure progress and direction. 4-Leadership Myths: Most popularized leadership traits are an idealized collection of traits selectively attributed to successful leaders of the moment. 5-Decision-Making Pitfalls: Avoid the "planning fallacy" and the fallibility of internal perspectives. Get an external view to temper optimistic projections. Kahneman’s example of curriculum development, which took seven years despite an internal projection of 1.5–2 years, highlights the importance of external perspectives. 6-Structured Decision-Making: Develop and adhere to a structured decision-making process. For more, see How to Decide by Annie Duke https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6661838603. 7-Intuition is Overrated: While intuition may feel reassuring, it often lacks accuracy. 8-Effective Meetings: a)Define the meeting's purpose clearly. b)Classify the meeting type: Decision (identify decision-maker), Input, or Awareness (if Awareness, consider an email instead). 9-Be Explicit with Your Team: a)Clarify goals. b) Outline processes, systems, and expectations. c)Communicate your personal preferences transparently. 10-Timely, Candid Feedback: Give constructive feedback promptly. For insights on managing tough conversations, see my post on https://equityriskpremium.substack.com/p/finalized-training-tackle-the-hard?r=13q5fd. 11-Maintaining Organizational Momentum: Establish routines that set and sustain the team’s pace. All this in just 30 minutes—testament to the high quality of the series. I highly recommend investing the time to listen! https://substack.com/@pedrosantospinto/note/c-65095266

- Pedro

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Exploring Earth’s Wonders: Key Takeaways from One Strange Rock Episode 2 - "Gasp"

One Strange Rock, a must-watch series from National Geographic, offers 10 engaging, entertaining, and insightful episodes. Through this series, I discovered so much about the wonders of Earth that I hadn’t known before. Here’s a breakdown of what I learned (or got a quick refresher on) in Episode 2, "Gasp": 1-The Asteroid Impact: About 66 million years ago, an asteroid hit Earth, wiping out most life, including the dinosaurs, and setting the stage for humans to thrive. 2-The Odds and Impact: The odds of such a massive asteroid impact are incredibly low. The crater it left behind in Yucatán, Mexico, is about 180 km wide and 20 km deep. The impact struck a large sulfur reserve, releasing billions of tons of gas into the atmosphere. This blocked sunlight, froze the Earth, and had devastating effects on life. Had the asteroid struck the ocean just a few seconds later, the outcome might have been far less severe. 3-Earth’s Beginnings (4.6 Billion Years Ago): Where Earth is now was once a cloud of gas and dust orbiting the young Sun. A cosmic storm eventually brought particles together, merging dust into solid matter, then rocks, and through heat and pressure, Earth continued to grow. 4-The Origins of Water: Water, essential for life, came from comet and asteroid storms that bombarded Earth over 100 million years. Unlike on other planets, water remained on Earth because we’re at the right distance from the Sun, allowing it to exist as solid, liquid, and gas, creating the weather patterns that support life. 5-The Moon's Formation: It's now believed that a planet (dubbed Theia) once shared Earth’s orbit and eventually collided with Earth. The Moon formed from the resulting debris. 6-The Moon’s Influence: The Moon's gravitational pull on Earth generates tides, which are crucial to stabilizing Earth’s rotation. 7-The Moon’s Role in Day Length: Tides created by the Moon gradually slowed Earth’s rotation from five hours to the 24-hour day we have now. 8-The Seasons: The impact with Theia also tilted Earth’s axis by 23.5 degrees, creating the seasons and making life possible across much of the planet. All of this covered in just 50 minutes! I hope I sparked your interest. https://youtu.be/XrC4vDcWmxk?si=JZA6_LBbfac1zyVa

- Pedro

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"Reflections on "The Covenant": Humanity, Afghanistan, and the Role of the UN"

It’s been a while since I watched a movie that kept me awake—and that's a high bar these days. This was a solid action movie, based on a true story, but ultimately it’s about human values. It’s hard not to reflect on how Afghan society was left under the darkness of the Taliban regime, especially the impact on women. The American withdrawal was disastrous on many fronts, but realistically, the responsibility couldn’t fall on a single nation. Situations like this expose how the ideals and values of the United Nations often feel sadly absent. https://youtu.be/02PPMPArNEQ?si=HxOejQYOx28tBTSN

- Pedro

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