Knowledge Economy, Apple Vision Pro, AGI, Galaxy S24, and Layoffs

Weekly Roundup of AI, Technology, and UX

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Here’s the latest news, resources, and use cases from the world of product, UX, AI and technology. Let’s go:

• 🧠 Knowledge Economy

• 👀 Vision Pro

• 🤖 AGI

• ☀️ Skin Cancer

• 🎭 Google Layoffs

• 📱 Samsung Phones

• 🏠 Home Sales

Podcast

Engineering the Future of Product Management: A Deep Dive with Hubert Palan

In this insightful episode, we're joined by Hubert Palan, founder and CEO of Product Board, to explore the evolving landscape of product management and its impact on the tech industry. We discuss the evolution of product management, the importance of gaining a deep understanding of customers, and leveraging AI and other tools to amplify your impact. Join us for an incredibly insightful discussion as we dive deep into product management and design!

News and Useful Reads

The Knowledge Economy Is Over. Welcome to the Allocation Economy

I thought this article had a fascinating take on the use of AI and how it will potentially change how we go from makers to allocators. I don’t believe that creating will ever go away, or that management can be the sole role that many of us take on. But I can see a shift in how we focus more in allocation, which is largely what product managers have been doing for a long time (not managing people, but managing resources).

We live in a knowledge economy. What you know—and your ability to bring it to bear in any given circumstance—is what creates economic value for you. This was primarily driven by the advent of personal computers and the internet, starting in the 1970s and accelerating through today.

But what happens when that very skill—knowing and utilizing the right knowledge at the right time—becomes something that computers can do faster and sometimes just as well as we can? 

We’ll go from makers to managers, from doing the work to learning how to allocate resources—choosing which work to be done, deciding whether work is good enough, and editing it when it’s not. 

Apple’s Vision Pro Headset Shows the Future of Computing Is Bulky and Weird

We’ve all been anxiously waiting for Apple’s Vision Pro. At least many of us have. It is wildly expensive and feels like such a niche product. Will it be able to pull AR/VR into the mainstream? We’ll see as preorders have begun already and it goes on sale February 2.

Apple's new spatial operating system which offers a unique software experience that somehow feels familiar. It's kind of like iOS but suspended in midair. You can watch movies, revisit memories in the Photos app, play games, and even do some work…

The interface is polished and slick. But at the same time, the Vision Pro feels like a mismatch of hardware and software. I don't want to wear a bulky headset at the coffee shop or airplane and figure out where to place the battery pack. I don't even know if I want to do that for hours when I'm alone at home.

Mark Zuckerberg’s new goal is creating artificial general intelligence

All the big companies are now racing toward AGI. It doesn’t seem like anyone is shy about it any more either.

“We’ve come to this view that, in order to build the products that we want to build, we need to build for general intelligence,” Zuckerberg tells me in an exclusive interview. “I think that’s important to convey because a lot of the best researchers want to work on the more ambitious problems.”

US FDA clears DermaSensor's AI-powered skin cancer detecting device

Technology continues to advance rapidly, with AI being incorporated into more and more early detection. As always, this is what I’m here for:

The Miami-based private company's device - also called DermaSensor - utilizes light and an AI-powered algorithm to help primary care physicians in identifying the presence of cancer in suspicious moles or lesions.

Google CEO says more job cuts are needed in 2024 in order to reach ‘ambitious goals’

It doesn’t sound like tech layoffs are slowing down. We talked about this last week, and Google let their employees know that more layoffs are coming.

In a memo titled “2024 priorities and the year ahead” that staffers received Wednesday evening, Pichai said, “we have ambitious goals and will be investing in our big priorities this year.” In the memo, which was obtained by CNBC, Pichai said company leadership is gearing up to share its AI goals for the year this week and will publish its 2024 OKRs (objectives and key results).

“The reality is that to create the capacity for this investment, we have to make tough choices,” Pichai wrote. For some teams that means eliminating roles, which includes “removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity,” he added.

Everything Samsung announced at its Galaxy S24 event

I’m a product person, and a Samsung fan. I’ve already preordered my Galaxy S24 Ultra, so I was excited about the announcement. So I have to mention it here as well as some of the other phones, cool AI features, and upcoming smart ring, which I’ll be really excited to try when it is available.

It’s official. Samsung held its latest Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17 and has three new smartphones to start the new year. On top of that, it also introduced its new artificial intelligence platform, teased the upcoming “Galaxy Ring,” and more.

Other Interesting Finds

Home Sales Were the Lowest in Almost 30 Years in 2023

If you’ve been feeling like the market for a new home is tougher than ever, you’re not alone. Interest rates and supply have not been friendly:

Existing-home sales slid 19% in 2023 from the prior year to 4.09 million, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. That total was lower than during the subprime crisis and the lowest full-year level since 1995. But the housing market is showing some signs of life as mortgage rates ease, and it’s possible that last year represented a bottom for sales activity.