Happy New Year 2024! 🎉 🎆

Just recently, financial uncertainty has led to many layoffs in tech, including in data science and analytics. In 2023, Google, Meta, Amazon, and Spotify (among others) all laid off data scientists and data analysts despite the profession being called “the sexiest job of the 21st century.”

In 2018, I correctly predicted that even though there was strong demand for data professionals, eventually CEOs and senior executives will question their investments in data science and AI and want an ROI on the high six-figure salaries. I also said back then that it would happen by 2023 if the data science community didn’t course-correct, and it appears they did not course-correct. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be seeing layoffs in data science and data analytics.

Sadly, there will be more to come. An article from Newsweek predicted that there will be more layoffs and hiring freezes in 2024.

But despite these ominous storm clouds, there are still things we can do to prepare. Here are a few of our thoughts and predictions for 2024 and beyond:

Remix Institute Predictions for 2024

On December 31, 2019, I sent my subscribers an email titled “AI in 2020 – Man and Machine Converge” where I made the following prediction:

“Man and machine will converge via the use of physical and digital human augmentations, which will be enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning. The 2020s decade will be THE decade for when humans and machine work together.”

That prediction and others turned out to be correct and continues to be correct. One big development which showed this was the release of ChatGPT in November 2022 and the use of large language models to augment human capability and cognition. In fact, Harvard and Boston Consulting Group released a study in 2023 that showed that consultants who used AI had significantly higher productivity. But what’s even more stunning is their analysis showed two distinctive patterns of human-AI integration: “Centaurs” (half human/half AI) and “Cyborgs” (continual interaction with AI).

Additionally, we’ve had companies like Neuralink obtain FDA approval for human study of brain implants.

But why talk about this prediction from 2020? Because it ties into my predictions for 2024. Our mission at Remix Institute is to help businesses and people grow through the use of AI automation and using machines to augment human cognition, productivity, and decision-making. Man and machine, working together.

With that said, here are a few of my predictions for AI and machine learning in 2024 and beyond:

1 – AI will not replace jobs; AI-augmented humans will replace other humans. Jason Calacanis, investor and one of the hosts of the All-In Podcast, tweeted back in October 2023 that startup pre-seed and seed rounds are back down to 2009-2014 levels. He also said Founders are getting more done with less, with much smaller teams. AI-augmented development and AI-assisted productivity tools are going to be the AI Augmentations humans will need to equip to themselves to increase their throughput. AI Augs like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Canva Magic Studio, and LegalMente AI are all going to be part of data science, business, and startup professionals’ arsenals to get more done with less.

2 – The Rise of Julia in AI and Machine Learning. Let’s face it: Python (released in 1991) and R (released in 1993) are old and slow. In this new era of AI and machine learning (where compute performance is becoming critical), faster and newer languages like Julia (released in 2012) are best positioned to handle the performance requirements.Just recently, Julia cracked the top 20 in the TIOBE Index of popular programming languages. Also, Julia is as easy to use and learn as R and Python.

3 – Profit Focused Data Science or PFDS becomes the new gold standard for data scientists. CEOs have lost their patience with paying high six figure salaries for data scientists and receiving a lack of results and ROI. In 2024, data science teams will be expected to be profit centers, not cost centers. Else, they will be easy targets for layoffs by CEOs and senior executives. This is going to require a paradigm shift which Remix Institute is embracing and has been preparing for.

4 – Digital Clones and Digital Twins. Digital cloning will be able to capture your way of thinking and embed your knowledge, experience, and personality digitally so that others can access. Basically, it’s Black Mirror Season 2, Episode 1 “Be Right Back.” In fact, a company called Delphi recently raised $2.7M from Founders Fund to “build the AI version of you to scale your expertise and availability, infinitely”. And companies I’ve worked at want LLMs to be fine-tuned using their company-specific playbooks so the AI learns the knowledge and personality of their company.

5 – AI Agents will increase in usage. AI Agents that can do autonomous research on the internet, integrate with apps, and complete tasks you specify have already existed with several coming out last year. But there haven’t been many user-friendly applications for mass public consumption. That will change, and AI Agents will increase in adoption for non-technical audiences. Best case scenario, it’s small scale, autonomous company concepts like Delamain from Cyberpunk 2077. Worst case scenario is rogue AI causing damage to systems.

6 – Humanizing of AI via Avatars and Voice. With many Western countries distrustful and fearful of AI, more web, software, and mobile applications will try to humanize AI by creating AI avatars and adding natural-sounding voice to their AI chatbots. Startups like AI.XYZ and Inflection AI are developing examples of this.

7 – Fear of AI will continue to be amplified by AI Doomers and “AI Safety” Hall Monitors with ulterior motives for control. There are many non-technical and mediocre people (such as journalists and politicians) who don’t know anything about AI or machine learning, but they constantly like to highlight the dangers of AI and not its benefits. Because they have nothing else of value to add. Through their constant narratives being told to the public that AI will replace jobs, become sentient and turn into Terminators and T-1000s, and kill humans, it has led many people in the US to be distrustful and fearful of AI.

8 – AI will attempt to become regulated, but it’ll become important to ensure the government doesn’t try to control it or put it only in the hands of a few big corporations. The key will be to ensure AI development continues to be democratized and that there’s still a free market for AI. It’s crucial to shift the discussion from focusing on the dangers of AI to recognizing its benefits. For those in the AI field, share your insights, contribute to balanced discussions, and help steer conversations towards a future where AI’s accuracy and benefits are recognized and maximized.

9 – AI Worshippers. As AI becomes more advanced, people will start to love, deify, and may even worship AI (like Brendan in Cyperpunk 2077 and the 2023 sci-fi action film, The Creator).

Remix Institute Membership

Remix Institute is helping you build a platinum shield for job security. I have been building up a Network of the best business, data, and AI professionals in the world and created a Membership that lets you gain access to courses, job and money opportunities, and a place to learn and share resources together from The Network.

Our Members are going to require help and support in this economic tempest. It is critical we uplift our own and stand by when our Members reach out needing that introduction to a hiring manager or recruiter. We will come out stronger on the other side.

In 2024, I’m committed to creating more consistent content and resources to share with our Remix Institute Members to prepare you so that you become a citadel against uncertainty. Follow me on LinkedIn and X as well so I can share content that’s valuable and helpful for you there.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

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