Welcome reader! This week started off wild with all the AI, AI agents, and AGI information being spread around social media. Google released a PDF about it a month ago (which mostly went under the radar). Sam Altman released a blog post reflecting on what has happened and where the future is headed this week. Better said, he claims that AGI is closer than we think. What do both have in common? They signal that a big change is coming - one we warned you about last year.
We all know how this will look in a decade. (source).
AGI
Why you should care: We can already see readers who are not tech-oriented or simply do not care enough… Asking themselves: Why should we care about AI? How does it impact our lives? What is the use case? The answer itself could not be more straightforward. AI impacts every area of your life. Yet, you may not know it. From the customer support that is now rapidly being switched to AI solutions (chatbots) to the cars driving you (robotaxis). If that still does not make much sense or you are not interested… Feel free to stop reading this post if it is not for you. Suppose you understand that change is coming and the clock is ticking - this article is for you.
AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) - where things are getting interesting: Sam Altman made a bold statement (source) believing that we might see the first AI agents join the workforce this year. What would this mean for those yet to understand what it is about? We are one step closer to AGI. What is AGI? To put it as simply as possible. AI could understand and apply the knowledge obtained similar to how humans do. Everyone knows by this point that Altman loves to make bold statements without backing them up, so this was not a surprise. Luckily for him and his project, it is not something they need to worry about, considering they are not a publicly traded company, and everything that comes from that position should be taken with a grain of salt. Should this make you scared or concerned about what is coming? Are you going to lose your job? Is UBI (universal basic income) here? Will you be replaced? The answer is no. This is just something to keep in mind and pay attention to, as no one can avoid technological advancement.
Our take on the situation: We are not trying to spread fear. We are not trying to push you into a decision or overnight change. Our goal? To bring awareness. Being aware of the problem is the key to overcoming it in the first place. Technological advancement won’t stop. The world will not stop, and not everyone will be unemployed the next day once the AGI (technology) reaches that point - it is not a linear process, and the transition period will happen. We don't believe in a doomsday scenario. As the whole economy shifts - temporary chaos emerges. Posts such as this should help you realize that you need to protect yourself and ensure you are in the best position possible. To be ready to put in the effort others are not putting in. Not only that, but also understand what happens when everyone has access to the same tools. Remember our future bets? Creative and social skills will go a long way… When they zig, you zag. The sooner you start thinking about what will be impossible to replace and what will give you the advantage. The sooner it all starts to make sense, and the sooner you will start noticing patterns.
AI Agents - Somewhere In The Middle
What are AI agents: The video below (source) should be a good example. Where the agent goes through your CV, finds matching jobs, and automatically applies to them. A big step forward from simply getting answers to your questions. AI agents are semi-automated systems designed to help you with a specific function based on defined parameters. They are similar to the current state of AI but can take things further and perform tasks for you based on the environment - given parameters. Better said, take control of your tasks and do them for you. This is the most basic example we could think of, which should make the most sense. This will provide a solid foundation for understanding what this is about and where things are headed. Current predictions are that by 2028 (source), enterprises should largely operate with AI agents included in their software. This means that SMBs and startups will adopt it by the end of the following year, as the adaptation of new technology tends to be faster. It is impossible to confirm this. But trends are moving in that direction.
Impact of AI agents on you: We all know that AI in its current state is "just a chatbot" and that AGI is the endgame. We can all agree that AI agents are in the middle of it. No one reading this can deny that AI agents will be able to multiply your productivity with minimal input. This also depends on your tasks and the complexity behind them. But if we are talking about basic tasks - which, funny enough, most are in the white-collar environment - everyone will witness big changes… A couple of months ago, we called VAs (virtual assistants) pretty much useless at that point. This statement is becoming more accurate every day and those who have long been in the WiFi money space know what we are talking about. At the same time, we expect the development of systems (environments) to be based on specific tasks: "Ready" for everyone to implement with some playing around and basic knowledge of the processes. The ability of agents to get information from the context and use it to achieve their intended outcomes is the key that we currently cannot get with AI based only on prompts. What will this cause, and what will the results be? There are two opposing views: some will say this is the best thing ever, while others will be entirely against it. Everyone understands that if a third party can automatically do their task, there is no reason for the person hired in the first place to still be needed - this is just a basic idea of how far things can go. The reality is that this will lead to many roles completely disappearing and new ones appearing. What result do we expect in the job market? Temporary chaos.
Predicting big technological changes is almost impossible - if you are not paying close attention to the sector. Not to mention that they often go under the radar for the first few years (the internet and crypto are good examples). This makes it hard to say what to expect with AI and its development. We recommend that everyone keep an eye on and pay attention to the AI space. The sector is booming, and things won’t slow down anytime soon. In the worst-case scenario, you will find a stock or a crypto coin around AI that will make money. This is an instant-win scenario. Best-case scenario? You will be ahead a few years before mainstream media gets into it. This will allow you to automate as much as possible and use your free time to build more. This should be useful because more tasks outsourced to AI means more time to build a new income stream. For those wondering about the purpose of everything if AGI is coming… The doomsday scenario is not likely to happen, as it would change everything from the core. Neither do we recommend that anyone use that approach. You will wake up every day with the wrong approach to life. Money in your bank account, investments, or business won't disappear either - which is already a big advantage that others won’t have. To keep it simple. Doomer's approach to life won’t get you anywhere and should be avoided at all costs.
AI vs. AI Agents: Exploring the Opportunity Gap
What’s under the hood: The graph (source) should tell you a lot about this topic and how things will work out. What you need to understand is that over time - AI will become better. Smarter, cheaper, more efficient, and faster. Something hard to compete with… It's impossible to compete with. While the current AI is functionally based purely on your inputs, the AI agents will operate based on the environment. One that will allow AI agents to develop a strategy for achieving things in smaller chunks. The AI agents will translate those initial inputs into specific outcomes based on those steps and the required output. Things should be pretty self-explanatory. The best way we can put it is that the current state of AI is still in a basic form - generating text responses based on user prompts. What agents will change is that systems will allow for autonomous operations, which is a big step forward when you think about it. It is hard to argue that things are working wonders in the current state… Imagine what will happen once this hits the markets. We recommend diving deeper into the logic behind the AI agents (source) and an in-depth breakdown if that interests you - it's a complex topic and often unnecessary for those who don’t plan to actively work with it. At the same time, AI is one of the most interesting trends in the last couple of years, given the speed at which it has developed.
Where things get interesting: At this point in this post, you should understand a few things: 1) You can’t stop the tech advancement - AGI is coming 2) You still have years (no one knows how many) to put in the maximum effort and ensure you live the life you want to live 3) You have to realize that the doomsday scenario is less likely to happen - there will be changes along the way. All of these are necessary and are going to happen. Where do things get interesting? Things do get interesting once you start seeing this as an opportunity. Suppose you are wondering where the opportunity is. The answer? Everywhere. This is for those following the efficiency blueprint or playing the risk-free game. Your predictable income (career - W2) is the first stop, which should be fully automated. No time should go to low ROI activities that go nowhere (including emails, docs, and the data analysis and scripts you use daily). Next on the list is your business, which everyone who has a side business or is trying to start one knows about. Having someone to take care of boring tasks was done back in the day by VAs, which is unnecessary in many cases. Finally? You are left with a general assistant who can care for everything you want or give insight into your situation. AI can already do all of these. Now imagine where things will go once AI Agents become available. Tasks will require even less input from your side. Scanning a CV and applying for relevant jobs can tell you much about where things will go. Imagine full task automation, customer support, content creation, or someone who will handle your bookkeeping. The best part? Its ability to do multiple processes. This means that there will be individuals who will be able to automate their 9 to 5 daily operations. There will be individuals who will be able to automate their side business. There will be individuals who will do things no one thought possible… Only requirement? It is essential to recognize where things are going (early adopters). Opportunity is there and no one can deny it. Make sure to use it to your advantage.
Basic AI Use Cases (For Those Who Have Yet to Implement AI or Are Looking for Ideas)
1) Job automation: It is hard not to repeat ourselves regarding this topic. The priority and focus of using AI should be to outsource yourself to it. Do everything you can to offload cognitive tasks and free up your time. Your best bet is to check out Python on how to automate your 9to5 and start from there. If you do anything with AI - ensure it frees up your time and gives you more out of your day.
2) Google NotebookLM - getting expert advice: Google allowed everyone to use NotebookLM and upload data into it. What’s impressive about that? Brilliant minds used it as an opportunity to upload complete collections of thoughts, ideas, books, and work based on the same author. Results? Have you ever tried to ask Steve Jobs for advice? You wanted to discuss philosophy with Nietzsche? This is probably the closest you will get until the voice models enter the game. It's worth trying to ask a few questions that have bothered you.
3) Self-diagnosis: Similar to the point above. We won’t comment much on it, as the post below should be more than enough. Landshark was onto something. Again. The reality is that if you can feed the correct information into the model… You can get a free session or a self-diagnosis with that same dataset - something for you to think about. This is not medical advice.
Summary
AI is already present in our daily lives… Everywhere. As time passes, you will be able to find more of it.
Realize that technological advancement won't stop and that AGI becoming a reality will happen sooner or later - not in the terms described elsewhere. Forget about the doomer scenario.
If we know AGI will happen - it means we can’t avoid it. We know there is still an opportunity to build a competitive advantage and a strong foundation.
Understand the difference between current AI (prompt-based) and AI agents - a big shift will happen regarding productivity.
An early adopter of the new technology or innovation → winning the opportunity gap.
The least you could do for yourself is to spend an hour or two automating everything you can and offloading low-value tasks to the AI. It is easy to free up your time and offload low ROI tasks.
Don’t be afraid to experiment when looking for answers. NotebookLMs are a great example and will allow you to get interesting results that could help you be in a better position than yesterday.
To wrap this post up with a final thought and our 2 cents. Never let yourself fall for the psyop around doomsday scenarios. Never let them kill your inner fire. Never let them fill your mind with negativity. Change is coming, and we must adapt as best as possible. If you follow the advice and takes on this website - there is nothing to worry about.
Disclaimer: None of this is to be legal or financial advice of any kind.
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Great stuff as always! I think what could be interesting for some of your readers is setting up a local LLM on their own machine. It’s definitely doable on moderately powered computers. You won’t get ChatGPT/Claude type of performance but it’s a great way to learn more in the fast evolving A.I. field
Very nice thoughts, It's so easy to fall into a circle of negativity when working in the SaaS world, working hard without having any lingering thoughts of being irrelevant and cloned in a few prompts by the last AI tool, I really struggle with this.