Quantum Computing, Destroying America, Professional Decision-Making, and AI
Weekly Review of News in Technology, UX and AI
Here’s the latest news, resources, and use cases from the world of product, UX, AI and technology. Let’s go:
📊 Data Engineering
⌨️ Quantum Computing
💬 Chatbots
☑️ Professional Decision-Makers
☠️ Destroying America
😈 AI Deception
🎂 Just Enough
💉 Measles
Podcast
Lessons in Data Engineering: Scaling, AI, and Open Source with Sandy Ryza
In this episode of Product by Design, Kyle chats with Sandy Ryza, lead engineer on the Dagster project, author, and thought leader in data engineering. Sandy shares his journey through the world of data—from building big data tools at Cloudera to working as a data scientist, product manager, and engineer—and how those experiences led him to help create Dagster, an open-source data orchestration platform.
News and Useful Reads
Microsoft’s New Majorana 1 Processor Could Transform Quantum Computing
Microsoft casually dropped some huge news in quantum computing this week, and published a paper in Nature with their findings and roadmap. We’re likely not to the quantum computing age yet, but this could be a big step.
Researchers at Microsoft have announced the creation of the first “topological qubits” in a device that stores information in an exotic state of matter, in what may be a significant breakthrough for quantum computing.
Chatbots of the dead
If you haven’t considered this idea, you should. I expect that chatbots or other technologies that link us to people who are no longer alive will continue to become more common.
To some, chatbots of the dead are useful tools that can help us grieve, remember, and reflect on those we’ve lost. To others, they are dehumanising technologies that conjure a dystopian world.
Why Product Managers Are Basically Professional Decision-Makers
I love the description of “Professional Decision-Maker,” because it describes exactly my experience as a product person. Literally everyone seems to look to me to make the decision. This can be intimidating if you’re new, and requires deep knowledge and confidence to do well.
We all know that the heart of product management beats with decision-making. Whether it’s choosing between two competing features, prioritizing tasks, or deciding which team member gets the spotlight, the weight of these choices can feel like it’s bearing down on you.
Elon Musk’s first month of destroying America will cost us decades
This is the exact sentiment that I’ve been living with for the past few weeks. Other countries that have had similar authoritarian regimes remake the government and the economy still haven’t recovered after decades. The immediate effects will be bad, but Trump/Musk are setting us up for decades of pain.
But the long-term costs will be measured in decades. The degree to which we have failed not merely ourselves but also our children and grandchildren is breathtaking.
The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled
Funding research, science, and technology has made America what it is and given the US and the world immense prosperity. But Trump and Musk are systematically dismantling it.
“If you believe that innovation is important to economic development, then throwing a wrench in one of the most sophisticated and productive innovation machines in world history is not a good idea,” says Deborah Seligsohn, an assistant professor of political science at Villanova University who worked for two decades in the State Department on science issues. “They’re setting us up for economic decline.”
AIs Are Deceiving Their Human Evaluators And We’re Probably Not Freaking Out Enough
Maybe AI is getting closer to human-behavior than I was giving it credit for…
AI models have engaged in some crazy behavior lately. They’ve disobeyed evaluators while attempting to preserve their encoded values. They’ve cheated at chess after developing an obsession for winning. And they’ve even run commands attempting to copy themselves out of testing environments.
Other Interesting Finds
The Swedish philosophy of lagom: how “just enough” is all you need
I wasn’t aware of the word “lagom,” but it’s something I’ve thought of frequently as I’ve gotten older. It may be hard to say “no” to a few more bites of chocolate ice cream, but the idea of stopping when you’re satisfied or still want just a little more is something I’ve tried to practice for a long time.
Lagom translates as “just the right amount.” It means knowing when enough is enough, and trying to find balance and moderation rather than constantly grasping for more. Lagom is that feeling of contentment we all get when we have all that we need to make us comfortable.
Measles cases are rising in the U.S. Do adults need a vaccine booster?
If you got an old vaccine or just one dose, get a booster. Given the stance of our current government in the US, we’ll likely see measles make an unnecessary comeback. No reason you should suffer, though, especially with how effective vaccines are.