Hannah Aster, Author at Shortform Books

The Chatbot Wars Are On! Who Will Win?

Who will win the chatbot wars? What obstacles do they face? How is the battle to dominate conversational AI evolving? ChatGPT’s popularity has ignited intense competition among tech giants to lead the AI chatbot market. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are all rapidly developing conversational AI tools and integrating them into products in hopes of reshaping the search engine, productivity software, and consumer electronics markets. Read below for a background on the chatbot wars and who the players are.

AI’s Carbon Footprint May Imperil Global Climate Goals

How big is AI’s carbon footprint? How fast is it growing? Can anything be done to curb it? AI’s carbon footprint and energy use are growing rapidly and could undermine global climate change goals. Mitigating AI’s emissions will require a combination of corporate carbon reduction commitments, AI efficiency improvements, a shift to renewable energy, and government regulation. Continue reading to learn how the growth of AI is affecting the environment.

Is Prompt Engineering the Future, or Is It Dying Out?

Is prompt engineering the future? Or is the career path quickly becoming obsolete? Prompt engineering, recently touted as the new hot job, is already changing. While some experts say that prompt engineering is still relevant, others argue that increasingly advanced and intuitive AI systems will soon make it obsolete. We’ll take a look at the future of prompt engineering below.

Is Climate Optimism Toxic or Helpful?

What is climate optimism? Which is the best approach to climate change: denialism, doomism, or optimism? When thinking about the future of Earth, some people brush off any concerns (denialism) while others feel terrified and helpless (doomism). There’s another approach—climate optimism—but its advocates say we must choose the right kind of optimism to prevent the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. Continue reading to learn about climate optimism and it’s effects.

Digital Sweatshops: The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence

How is artificial intelligence (AI) trained? What are digital sweatshops? What can be done to prevent exploitation? With the artificial intelligence market projected to hit $1.3 trillion over the next decade, companies are scrambling to train their AI products. However, training AI comes with hidden costs. These include exploitative labor practices in developing countries and refugee camps. Continue reading to learn more about the dark side of AI.

AI Is Taking Over Jobs—Here’s How & the Jobs at Risk

Could AI replace manual labor? Are robot workers more or less expensive than human workers? Large-language-model AI can interpret natural-language commands and convert them into sequences of commands that a robot can execute. This makes it possible to build general-purpose robots that can be told or taught how to do things like human workers—and possibly replace them. Here’s a look at how AI is taking over jobs and who is at risk.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) vs. Rising Drug Prices

How will the Inflation Reduction Act combat rising drug prices? Why are pharmaceutical companies fighting back? In 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims, among other things, to reduce spending by Medicare on prescription drugs. The pharmaceutical industry has launched a series of lawsuits to stop the act from taking effect. In this article, we’ll examine the context that brought about the new law and the pharmaceutical industry’s opposition.

How the Student Loan Payment Restart Will Impact the Economy

When will the student loan payments restart again? Will the reduced spending damage the economy? The end of the federal student loan payment pause on October 1 could significantly impact borrowers’ personal finances, spending, and the broader US economy. The long-term burden of student loan debt is expected to influence major life decisions for millions of borrowers. Continue below to learn about the potential impacts of the returning student loan payments.

Workers Push Back Against Return-to-the-Office Mandates

Why are companies pushing to get employees to return to the office? Why are workers resisting their calls? What’s the future of hybrid and remote work in the US? US companies are urging or demanding that employees return to the office, but some workers are pushing back. Experts say that US work culture has permanently shifted, and that companies that work with employees to develop flexible policies will have the edge in attracting and retaining talent. Continue reading for both sides of the argument on whether or not it’s time to end remote work.

Why Ketamine Clinics Are Closing All Over the US

Why did ketamine clinics suddenly become so popular? Why are so many ketamine clinics closing? Ketamine clinics (brick-and-mortar and virtual) are spreading across the US and promoting the drug as a therapy for depression and other mental health conditions. However, the treatments are expensive and many clinics are struggling to stay afloat. Here’s a look at the pop-up of ketamine clinics, why they’re so popular, and why many aren’t surviving.