Microsoft Global Hackathon 2021 Award Winner

Microsoft Global Hackathon 2021 Award Winner Ceremony

The Microsoft Global Hackathon is the world’s largest private hackathon. This year’s hackathon witnessed participation from 67,633 hackers from 92 countries working on 6,394 projects.

I am very pleased to announce that the project I led during the Microsoft Global Hackathon 2021 was awarded for the Hack for Hybrid Work Executive Challenge. The focus of this challenge was on using data and technology to help make #hybridwork more inclusive, effective, and fun!

Now I’m very excited to see what our hack will look like in the final product and how it will influence a healthy lifestyle. A patent for the project has already been filed. (That would be my very first patent! 🙂 )

In total, 46 hackers across many time zones worked on this project. Congratulations to the great team – I will always value the opportunity to work with you on such a meaningful project:

Decisively Digital is nominated for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2021

The publisher of Decisively Digital, Wiley, has informed me that our book is now officially nominated for the prestigious Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2021.

The nomination itself is a very big achievement. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we win this award!

Thank you, everyone, for making this possible — and for the uplifting and inspiring words:

Decisively Digital is the #1 New Release in Organizational Change on Amazon

Our book Decisively Digital is the number 1 new release in Organizational Change on Amazon!

The paperback of Decisively Digital became available yesterday in the US, with other territories soon to follow.

It took a village to finish this book. Many thanks to all of you:

Decisively Digital — From Creating a Culture to Designing Strategy: Book is Now Available

My new book Decisively Digital — From Creating a Culture to Designing Strategy is now available for pre-order at most bookstores. The ebook is already available:

Book’s website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | IndieBound | Thalia | Weltbild | published by Wiley

Check out 24 gripping interviews with Elissa Fink, Mohamed Abdel Hadi, Dr. Henna Karna, Derek Roos, Edna Conway, Kerem Tomak, André Rabold, Bora Beran, Florian Ramseger, Tatyana Yakushev, Patrick Kirchgäßner, Jordan Morrow, Yilian Villanueva Martinez, Lee Feinberg, Mark Kromer, Sarah Burnett, Andreas Kopp, Cameron Turner, Christy Marble, Prof. Dr. Patrick Glauner, Vladimir Alexeev, Sofie Blakstad, Sven Sommerfeld, and Ian Choo. Thanks also to Bernard Marr for the foreword, Patrick Walsh for editing, and everyone for supporting me in the preparation and reviews.

More about the book from the back cover:

INSIGHTS AND APPLICATIONS FROM 24 LEADERS OF THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION FROM CREATING A CULTURE TO DESIGNING STRATEGY

Today’s business world is Decisively Digital. Across the business landscape, the leaders rising to the top are the ones who can think big-picture about data, AI, analytics, and beyond. How do we build new capabilities around digital, so we can push into the future with full steam? That’s the question at the heart of the twenty-four incisive interviews inside this unique collection of up-to-the-minute expertise from the people who are moving business forward.

With this book, your mentors are the very digital masterminds behind some of today’s top global organizations. Discover how tech giants are reinventing the world of work, how the financial sector is streamlining with data analytics, and what the latest AI research means for the businesses of today and tomorrow. You’ll also gain access to a toolkit of updates, further reading, and digital strategy ideas on the included companion website.

Discover the inspiration you need to evolve your business for the digital age and learn to:

    • Establish a digital culture that empowers people to work smarter
    • Implement data democracy and analytics to discover new capabilities
    • Generate tangible business results using new tech tools
    • Realize efficiencies with artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things
    • Apply real-world examples as you build your own future-proof digital strategy

“Alexander […] has brought together some of the brightest voices and smartest thought leaders from leading organisations across many industries, to bring you unmissable insights and real-world examples to showcase how technology can improve your businesses and drive business results today and tomorrow.”
—Bernard Marr, Futurist, influencer and best-selling author of Tech Trends in Practice and The Intelligence Revolution

Decisively Digital is decisively executive. Great experts, great interviews, and great insights combine to a crisp, cohesive and powerful story. It would be quite a mistake for any (aspiring) leader not to dive into this book, so I will definitely put it on the list of mandatory readings for my future students!”
—Markus Maedler, Director Executive MBA Programmes at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Thank you all who helped me to complete this book — and please feel free to share the news:

GPT-3: A Leap in Language Generation But Not True AGI– Insights from Decisively Digital

Explore the intricate relationship between AGI and GPT models like OpenAI's GPT-3, as revealed in the much-awaited book "Decisively Digital."
Explore the intricate relationship between AGI and GPT models like OpenAI’s GPT-3, as revealed in the much-awaited book „Decisively Digital.“

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making significant strides in recent years, particularly in the realm of generative AI. Among these advancements, OpenAI’s GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) has emerged as a groundbreaker. While its language generation capabilities are astonishing, the question remains: Are we any closer to achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)? In this article, we’ll explore the complex world of GPT-3, its potential, and its limitations, as discussed in my forthcoming book Decisively Digital.

The Evolution of Generative AI and GPT-3’s Arrival

Generative AI has seen considerable growth in recent years. OpenAI first introduced GPT-3 in a research paper published in May and subsequently initiated a private beta phase. Selected developers have been granted access to further explore GPT-3’s capabilities. OpenAI has plans to turn this tool into a commercial product later this year, offering businesses a paid subscription to the AI via the cloud.

The Capabilities of GPT-3

The evolution of large language models like GPT-3 is worth examining in the context of Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications. From answering questions to generating Python code, GPT-3’s use cases are expanding by the day. Generative AI has been escalating at an unprecedented rate. OpenAI’s recent launch of GPT-3 has created a buzz in both the tech community and beyond.

The software has moved into its private beta phase, with OpenAI planning to offer a cloud-based commercial subscription later this year. This move marks a significant stride toward integrating GPT models into business applications, bringing us one step closer to the AGI GPT reality.

The Marvel of GPT-3: A Milestone in AGI Evolution?

GPT-3 is a machine-learning model with an impressive 175 billion parameters, making it capable of generating astonishingly human-like text. It’s been applied to numerous tasks, from generating short stories to even coding HTML. These capabilities have been turning heads and inciting discussions around AGI GPT models. But is it all it’s cracked up to be?

GPT-3’s predecessor, GPT-2, laid the foundation for the current model. While the underlying technology hasn’t changed much, what distinguishes GPT-3 is its sheer size—175 billion parameters compared to other language models like T5, which has 11 billion parameters. This scale is a result of extensive training on data largely sourced from the internet, enabling GPT-3 to reach or even surpass current State-Of-The-Art benchmarks in various tasks.

The Limitations and Weaknesses

Despite its staggering capabilities, the GPT-3 model is not without its flaws. Despite its human-like text generation capabilities, GPT-3 is still prone to generating hateful, sexist, and racist language. It’s a powerful tool but lacks the genuine smarts and depth that come with human cognition. In essence, while the output may look human-like, it often reads more like a well-crafted collage of internet snippets than original thought.

Most people tend to share positive examples that fit their bias towards the machine’s language „understanding.“ However, the negative implications, such as the generation of offensive or harmful content, need to be considered seriously. For example, GPT-3 has been found to generate racist stories when prompted with specific inputs, which raises concerns about the technology potentially doing more harm than good.

Not Quite AGI

Many have been quick to label GPT-3 as a stepping stone towards AGI. However, this might be an overestimation. GPT-3 can make glaring errors that reveal a lack of common sense, a key element in genuine intelligence. As OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman notes:

„AI is going to change the world, but GPT-3 is just a very early glimpse. We have a lot still to figure out.“

Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI

Decisively Digital: The AGI GPT Discourse

My upcoming book Decisively Digital devotes an entire chapter to the role of GPT-3 in business and its potential to serve as a stepping stone toward AGI. From automating customer service to generating insightful reports, GPT-3 offers a wealth of opportunities for enterprises. However, the book also delves into the ethical considerations and potential pitfalls of adopting this powerful technology.

Concluding Thoughts: AGI GPT—A Long Road Ahead

While GPT-3 serves as an intriguing glimpse into the future of AGI, it is just that—a glimpse. We have a long road ahead in the quest for AGI GPT models that can mimic true human intelligence. As we navigate this fascinating journey, a balanced perspective is crucial.

To stay updated on these critical topics and much more, connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn, and be on the lookout for the release of Decisively Digital.