philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Understanding And Preparing For The 7 Levels Of AI Agents

Level 1—Reactive Agents

Level 2—Task-Specialized Agents

Level 3—Context-Aware AgentsLevel

4—Socially Savvy Agents

Level 5—Self-Reflective Agents

The idea of self-reflective agents ventures into speculative territory. These systems would be capable of introspection and self-improvement. The concept has roots in philosophical discussions about consciousness, first introduced by Alan Turing in his early work on machine intelligence and later explored by thinkers like David Chalmers.

Self-reflective agents would analyze their own decision-making processes and refine their algorithms autonomously, much like a human reflects on past actions to improve future behavior. For businesses, such agents could revolutionize operations by continuously evolving strategies (not just processes) without human input.

For example, in a manufacturing context, such agents could monitor production line inefficiencies, identify the root causes, and recalibrate machinery or workflows to enhance output. ...

However, the journey to this level is fraught with challenges, including defining and gauging machine "self-awareness," complex ethical considerations, and what is referred to as "model collapse" (in which an AI agent's performance degrades by relying too much on itself rather than upon variegated inputs).

For now, organizations can prepare by developing robust feedback mechanisms and fostering a culture of iterative learning—both for their AI systems and their teams.

Level 6—Generalized Intelligence Agents

Level 7—Superintelligent Agents

Reaching Beyond Human Conception

See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglaslaney/2025/01/03/understanding-and-preparing-for-the-seven-levels-of-ai-agents/

Would You Entrust A Non-Human General Intelligence Without Integrity?

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A critical shortcoming of the ARC-AGI benchmark is its lack of emphasis on integrity considerations. Evaluating an AI’s ability to make ethically, morally, and socially acceptable reasoning and decisions is paramount. This involves presenting the system with scenarios that require balancing competing values, such as fairness, safety, and privacy.

There can be no such thing as (artificial) intelligence benefiting all of humanity without (artificial) integrity.

This goes well beyond adapting to novel tasks validated through visual puzzles that require an understanding of basic concepts such as objects, boundaries, and spatial relationships. ...

See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hamiltonmann/2025/01/02/would-you-entrust-a-non-human-general-intelligence-without-integrity/

From Loneliness to Belonging: 5 Trends are Hacking the Museum Experience

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Case Study: ‘Neighbourhood Nights’ – The Museum Reimagined

Picture this: a mid-sized museum hosts monthly ‘Neighbourhood Nights.’ Each event focuses on a local issue—climate resilience, mental health, cultural preservation—with an open-door policy.

• Community First: Partnerships with grassroots groups drive the agenda.
• Hands-On Creation: Visitors contribute to living exhibits, whether through art, stories, or digital interactions.
• Anti-Loneliness Design: Social spaces are built intentionally for conversation and connection.
• Wellness Meets Action: Health experts and eco-advocates pop up with hands-on stations.
• Hybrid Layer: Events are live-streamed, with virtual chats keeping online attendees in the mix.

See the full story here: https://www.museumnext.com/article/from-loneliness-to-belonging-5-trends-are-hacking-the-museum-experience/

Advice For Aspiring AI Leaders: Start Small, Think Big, Move Fast

How does one take the reins of AI initiatives when 85,000 employees with a wide range of skills are involved? Proceed carefully to see what works, then step on the gas if an AI application looks promising.

That’s the word from Dr. John Halamka, president of the Mayo Clinic Platform, who recently shared advice with current and aspiring AI leaders in two interviews published in MIT Sloan Management Review on dealing with the evolving risks and opportunities related to artificial intelligence, and how to get ahead of the pack. ...

Look beyond traditional measures or thinking when it comes to seeking use cases for AI. Values need to be aligned, he urged. “I ask clinicians, ‘do you want more AI?’ They say, ‘well no, what I want is to get home for dinner. I want a quality of proactive life, so I can practice on top of my license.’”

Halamka’s response is “I can bring you AI which can do ambient listening, write your charts for you, fill out your forms, and get you home earlier. And by the way, help figure out what patients are likely to see benefit from you.” ...

See the full story here; https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2024/12/30/advice-for-aspiring-ai-leaders-start-small-think-big-move-fast/

The Surprising Ways AI Is Changing Media And Entertainment

... AI is also playing a crucial role in online content moderation. By detecting and removing harmful or inappropriate material in real-time, AI ensures a safer and more enjoyable user experience. This not only alleviates the need for lots of human moderators, but now allows for moderation at scale in real time which isn't possible without the help of AI. ... [PhilNote: you don't know what the AI isn't telling/showing you!!!]

See the full story here; https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenwalch/2024/12/28/the-surprising-ways-ai-is-changing-media-and-entertainment/

Did artificial intelligence shape the 2024 US election?

... But the anticipated avalanche of AI-driven misinformation never materialised. As Election Day came and went, viral misinformation played a starring role, misleading about vote counting, mail-in ballots and voting machines. However, this chicanery leaned largely on old, familiar techniques, including text-based social media claims and video or out-of-context images. ...

The AI-generated claims that got the most traction supported existing narratives rather than fabricating new claims to fool people, experts said. For example, after former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, falsely claimed that Haitians were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, AI images and memes depicting animal abuse flooded the internet. ...

“In this election, AI’s impact may appear muted because traditional formats were still more effective, and on social network-based platforms like Instagram, accounts with large followings use AI less,” said Herbert Chang, assistant professor of quantitative social science at Dartmouth College. Chang co-wrote a study that found AI-generated images “generate less virality than traditional memes,” but memes created with AI also generate virality. ...

Prominent people with large followings easily spread messages without needing AI-generated media. Trump, for example, repeatedly falsely said in speeches, media interviews and on social media that illegal immigrants were being brought into the US to vote even though cases of noncitizens voting are extremely rare and citizenship is required for voting in federal elections. Polling showed Trump’s repeated claim paid off: More than half of Americans in October said they were concerned about noncitizens voting in the 2024 election. ...

In other cases, politicians flipped the script — blaming or disparaging AI instead of using it. Trump, for example, falsely claimed that a montage of his gaffes that the Lincoln Project released was AI-generated, and he said a crowd of Harris supporters was AI-generated.  ...

The majority of the deepfake incidents were created as satire, the data showed. Behind that were deepfakes that intended to harm someone’s reputation. And the third most common deepfake was created for entertainment. ...

See the full story here; https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/25/did-artificial-intelligence-shape-the-2024-us-election

[Shelly Palmer] Things That Have My Attention For 2025

This is the time of year I try to gather my observations and write them down. Most years, I craft a trend report or enumerate my “investable theses,” but this year, I simply want to share what’s on my mind. These are not predictions or forecasts—just a collection of the ideas and concepts that have captured my attention. From the accelerating pace of innovation to the profound societal shifts driven by AI, here’s what I’m thinking about as 2024 comes to a close:

The Great AI Transformation of 2025

The great AI transformation of 2025 won’t be about technology—it will be about leadership. Technology evolves exponentially, as it always has, but tech alone is not the answer. When you teach someone to complete three hours of work in three minutes, they won’t automatically move to the next task unless they are motivated and properly compensated. This is a leadership challenge, not a technological one. Success in 2025 will belong to those who understand how to lead teams in this era of unprecedented productivity.

Keeping Up to Date

The pace of technological change has reached an almost incomprehensible velocity. For over 25 years, I’ve been preaching exponential change, yet I, (like just about everyone) find myself struggling to keep up. Staying informed has gone from a strategic imperative to an ongoing battle against the overwhelming flood of information. AI-powered curation tools are no longer luxuries; they are necessities.

Humans Are No Longer the Sole Writers of History

AI has become a full co-writer of human history. Generative AI systems now shape culture, create narratives, and influence decisions at a scale we’ve never seen before. This evolution raises profound questions about authorship and authenticity.

AGI: The New North Star

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has supplanted AI as the ultimate goal for big model builders. The term “AI” feels almost quaint as tech giants race to define what a true AGI can achieve.

Reasoning Engines

Reasoning engines represent the next frontier in AI development. Unlike traditional LLMs, they aim to provide structured, logical decision-making. Their potential applications, from strategic planning to complex problem-solving, are boundless.

Agentic Systems

Everyone I know is working on agentic systems—software capable of autonomous action. Their development will redefine how we think about tools, assistants, and personal AI collaborators.

Marketing to Bots

As agentic systems become ubiquitous, marketing must adapt. Each of us will probably have multiple AI personas making decisions on our behalf. Brands will have to learn to target bots, not just humans, with personalized, bot-friendly messaging.

The Loneliness Epidemic: Synthetic Companionship

Platforms like character.ai are captivating audiences of all ages (but especially Gen-Alpha and Gen-Z). Synthetic companions are replacing traditional human interaction. Is this a passing fad, or are we witnessing the rise of a new social dynamic? Also, from a brand POV, are we authentically synthetic or synthetically authentic? It’s a new world.

The End of Link-Based Search

AI-driven summaries are putting a lot of stress on traditional, link-based search models. This shift poses existential questions for search engines, publishers, and the broader information ecosystem. 

Talking to Data

Apps like Google’s NotebookLM and Meta’s NotebookLlama enable users to converse with their data, offering unprecedented insights and interactions. This transformative approach to information management is reshaping everything from education to enterprise decision-making.

Productivity & Workflow Innovation

Simply increasing productivity with an AI stack isn’t enough. To unlock AI’s full potential, businesses must innovate workflows and processes at the same pace and with the same intensity as the technology is evolving.

Human-AI Co-Worker Teams

The future of work demands new rules for human-AI collaboration. Teams must redefine roles and expectations to fully integrate AI systems as partners, not tools.

Creativity vs. Execution

Humans excel at creativity; AI thrives in execution. Understanding this distinction is essential to assigning work effectively in hybrid human-AI teams. Here’s what I mean.

Multimodal Capabilities

The rise of multimodal AI systems is empowering a new era of “social production,” where anyone can describe and produce complex outputs. This democratization of production capability is magical—and disruptive (just don’t confuse it with creativity).

Creating a Culture of Continuous Adaptation

The days of “change management” and “digital transformation” are over. Organizations must now build cultures that embrace perpetual change, fostering resilience and adaptability at every level. We have a nice approach to this.

How LLMs Work

A fundamental understanding of LLM technology—pre-training, inference workloads, and post-training—is essential. Mastering these concepts will separate leaders from laggards in 2025. We have a course that can help.

AI’s Impact on Education

AI has already reshaped teaching and learning at every level of education. The question for 2025 is: what’s next? From personalized tutoring to automated curriculum design, the possibilities are endless.

AI Training Ethics

The ethical implications of AI training are becoming impossible to ignore. From copyright law to biases baked into datasets, ensuring alignment between AI systems and societal values is essential for ethical deployment.

AI Energy Consumption

The environmental impact of AI cannot be overstated. Training large AI models requires vast amounts of energy, prompting the need for more efficient algorithms and sustainable infrastructure to minimize carbon footprints.

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See the full story here; https://shellypalmer.com/2024/12/things-that-have-my-attention-for-2025/

[Shelly Palmer] The Top 10 Stories of 2024

1. How Much Longer Can The Agency/Client Model Survive?

2. Things That Have My Attention For 2025

4. Mastering the Art of Prompt Engineering (aka Prompt Crafting) Updated

5. RAG: What Every Brand Marketer Needs to Know

9. The AI-Native Flywheel: A Framework for Continuous Adaptation

10. ChatGPT Canvas, Claude Artifacts, and Google NotebookLM: Which AI Productivity Tool Suits Your Needs?

See the full story at https://shellypalmer.com/2024/12/the-top-10-stories-of-2024/?mc_cid=16d5fe7e6c&mc_eid=3ce5196977

10 AI Predictions For 2025

3. Donald Trump and Elon Musk will have a messy falling-out. This will have meaningful consequences for the world of AI.

5. Multiple serious efforts to put AI data centers in space will take shape.

10. The first real AI safety incident will occur.

See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2024/12/22/10-ai-predictions-for-2025/

OpenAI’s o3 model aced a test of AI reasoning – but it’s still not AGI

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However, Chollet described how we might know when human-level intelligence has been demonstrated by some form of AGI. “You’ll know AGI is here when the exercise of creating tasks that are easy for regular humans but hard for AI becomes simply impossible,” he said in the blog post.

Thomas Dietterich at Oregon State University suggests another way to recognise AGI. “Those architectures claim to include all of the functional components required for human cognition,” he says. “By this measure, the commercial AI systems are missing episodic memory, planning, logical reasoning and, most importantly, meta-cognition.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2462000-openais-o3-model-aced-a-test-of-ai-reasoning-but-its-still-not-agi/