Latest / Modularity Podcast / Mastering AI Trends and Opportunities

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Mastering AI Trends and Opportunities · Modularity Podcast

• 0:00
  Alright, so let's kick things off by breaking down what we mean when we
• 0:04
  say "artificial intelligence" or AI.
• 0:07
  Basically, AI refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence,
• 0:12
  right?
• 0:12
  We're talking about tasks like decision-making,
• 0:15
  learning, and problem-solving.
• 0:17
  Now, AI falls into two big categories: narrow AI,
• 0:27
  which is sometimes called weak AI,
• 0:29
  and then there's strong AI.
• 0:29
  Okay,
• 0:31
  so narrow AI is kinda like what we have today-specific tools built to
• 0:35
  do one job and do it well, yeah?
• 0:35
  Exactly.
• 0:38
  A good example is IBM's Deep Blue,
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  the chess-playing computer that beat Garry Kasparov way back when.
• 0:46
  That's narrow AI in action-focused,
• 0:50
  doesn't multitask, but it's brilliant at its specific task.
• 0:54
  Then we've got things like ChatGPT,
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  which excels in natural language processing.
• 1:00
  It's narrow AI, but it kinda feels broader because it can handle so many
• 1:03
  topics.
• 1:03
  Yeah, but strong AI, or general AI-now that's the wild sci-fi stuff,
• 1:08
  right?
• 1:09
  Like sentient robots in movies,
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  thinking and reasoning like humans.
• 1:14
  But, despite what some folks might believe,
• 1:17
  we're nowhere near that.
• 1:17
  Right,
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  still purely theoretical for now.
• 1:22
  What's fascinating, though, is how AI works today.
• 1:26
  It merges human-like intelligence,
• 1:28
  massive datasets, and computer science to solve problems.
• 1:33
  A lot of it's about recognizing patterns and making predictions.
• 1:37
  And we can also classify AI based on how it functions.
• 1:37
  Oh,
• 1:43
  like Reactive Machines and Limited Memory?
• 1:43
  Exactly!
• 1:47
  Reactive Machines, like IBM's Deep Blue,
• 1:52
  are pretty straightforward-they can analyze and respond in the moment
• 1:56
  but don't store data or learn from it.
• 1:59
  Limited Memory is much more advanced.
• 2:02
  Think of Tesla's autonomous systems-they're constantly gathering data
• 2:08
  from the environment and then using that info to make better decisions
• 2:15
  down the road.
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  And that's where the real progress is right now.
• 2:19
  Limited Memory AI is letting us do things that used to seem impossible.
• 2:24
  Like self-driving cars-that still blows my mind.
• 2:27
  But AI is doing so much more than just helping cars drive themselves.
• 2:27
  Totally.
• 2:32
  Take healthcare, for instance.
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  AI is transforming imaging diagnostics.
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  Doctors can use AI to analyze X-rays or MRIs,
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  spotting things they might've missed.
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  Better patient outcomes, faster decisions-it's amazing.
• 2:50
  And then there's business automation.
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  Companies are optimizing workflows,
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  understanding customer behavior better,
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  and improving engagement like never before.
• 3:00
  Okay,
• 3:05
  but let's not forget the downsides.
• 3:07
  It's not always sunshine and rainbows.
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  Didn't United Healthcare catch heat for using AI to deny claims that
• 3:13
  shouldn't have been denied?
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  Yes,
• 3:15
  their AI was denying claims with a 90% error rate,
• 3:19
  but one has to wonder if this was intentional as the company knew about
• 3:22
  it, and continued to use the model.
• 3:22
  Anything for the dollar,
• 3:25
  huh?
• 3:25
  Anything and everything, including your CEO getting draxed.
• 3:25
  Stuff
• 3:30
  like that shows where AI can go wrong if misused or poorly implemented.
• 3:34
  It's definitely not without risks.
• 3:34
  Absolutely.
• 3:37
  Now, circling back to the positives,
• 3:40
  let's talk about how it's changing what we do at Modularity.
• 3:43
  We've developed Modularity Maker,
• 3:45
  an AI-powered website builder,
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  and it's a game-changer.
• 3:47
  You can create a fully-functional website in
• 3:52
  what-five minutes?
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  Five minutes!
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  All you need is a business description,
• 3:56
  a few photos-either your own or from our stock library-a layout,
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  and boom, you're online.
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  No coding, no hassle.
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  It's AI making the web accessible to anyone.
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  And that's the point,
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  right?
• 4:10
  AI is the future.
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  It's already here, and it's not going anywhere.
• 4:13
  We've gotta adapt, because it's adapt or...well,
• 4:17
  you know.
• 4:18
  AI's role is only going to grow.
• 4:18
  We've covered a lot about what AI is
• 4:24
  and how it's reshaping industries.
• 4:26
  So now, let's shift gears and talk about the practical side-how can someone
• 4:32
  actually get started with using AI?
• 4:34
  It's not as intimidating as it might seem,
• 4:37
  right?
• 4:37
  Totally.
• 4:38
  There are some super approachable tools out there that anyone-like literally
• 4:43
  anyone-can dive into.
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  I'm talking about stuff like ChatGPT.
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  It's user-friendly, no tech background needed,
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  just type your question or task,
• 4:51
  and it gets to work.
• 4:51
  Exactly.
• 4:54
  ChatGPT's been a game-changer,
• 4:58
  but it's just the start.
• 4:59
  If you need some concept art for your next project,
• 5:03
  check out Leonardo-it's fantastic for generating images based on descriptions.
• 5:07
  And then there are tools like Perplexity,
• 5:10
  which basically acts like an AI-enhanced search engine.
• 5:13
  I use this one daily, and has almost replaced Google search for me.
• 5:17
  Think ChatGPT, but it cites its sources.
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  Ooh,
• 5:21
  that sounds great for research.
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  But wait-let's not forget Claude.
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  Anthropic, the developers promise a more ethical AI model,
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  that sounds much more natural than other models.
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  Its advanced data analysis and task automation abilities are amazing.
• 5:35
  Oh, and Deep Seek!
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  This one has the added benefit of offering an open source version that
• 5:40
  you can host yourself.
• 5:40
  Right, another we've been using is Opus Clip,
• 5:43
  which can take your YouTube videos and turn them into bite-sized,
• 5:48
  shareable clips.
• 5:49
  We've been using it to take this podcast and cut it into YouTube Shorts,
• 5:53
  and Instagram Reels.
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  Yeah, and all these tools can really streamline your
• 5:59
  day-to-day tasks.
• 6:00
  ChatGPT is not just about answering questions-it can draft emails,
• 6:04
  write reports, even help plan your weekly schedule.
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  Once you've become a power user give other models a shot to see what
• 6:11
  works best for you.
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  Now, if someone wants to go deeper into AI,
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  the first step is building some foundational knowledge.
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  Basics like math-calculus, linear algebra,
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  maybe a pinch of probability-are helpful.
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  They underpin machine learning and data analysis.
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  And Python.
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  Oh man, if you're new to coding,
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  Python is where it's at.
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  Super beginner-friendly and it's kinda the universal language of AI right
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  now.
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  Right.
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  And once you've got the basics,
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  you can experiment with machine learning concepts.
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  Learning how algorithms work-things like supervised learning,
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  unsupervised learning-that's key.
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  And understanding data analysis is crucial since so much of AI revolves
• 7:03
  around spotting patterns in data.
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  That's when it gets exciting,
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  though.
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  Like, you start seeing how you can use AI for predictive analytics-think
• 7:13
  business decisions, customer trend forecasting,
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  even something as niche as inventory planning.
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  It's wild what some basic knowledge opens up.
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  And there's a ton of resources
• 7:25
  out there to help people get started.
• 7:26
  For example, the course "AI for Everyone" by DeepLearning.
• 7:26
  AI is a great
• 7:33
  introduction.
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  Super accessible and not too technical.
• 7:36
  For hands-on practice, premium tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch are
• 7:42
  widely recommended, but even free libraries like NumPy are fantastic for
• 7:45
  experimentation.
• 7:45
  Yeah, exactly.
• 7:47
  For freebie hunters, Python has this insane ecosystem of tools.
• 7:53
  So, grab something like Jupyter Notebooks-it makes running little
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  experiments
• 7:59
  a breeze.
• 7:59
  Get in there and tinker-it's the best way to build confidence.
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  And that
• 8:03
  brings us to another must-know skill: prompt engineering.
• 8:07
  Whether you're using ChatGPT or an image generator like Leonardo,
• 8:11
  crafting the right prompts is critical.
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  It's all about specificity-be clear,
• 8:19
  give detailed instructions, and you'll get better results.
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  Precisely.
• 8:24
  Like, don't just type "make a logo" and expect magic.
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  Instead, say something like, "Design a minimalist logo with blue and
• 8:33
  white tones for a tech startup." The more input,
• 8:35
  the better the output.
• 8:35
  Exactly.
• 8:38
  And with a bit of practice, you'd be surprised how creative you can get
• 8:44
  with prompts.
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  Honestly, starting with these tools and approaches-it's the easiest way
• 8:50
  to ease into AI without feeling overwhelmed.
• 8:50
  Yeah,
• 8:54
  and before you know it, you'll be using AI for everything-from brainstorming
• 8:58
  ideas to automating those grind-y little tasks.
• 8:58
  Alright,
• 9:02
  so we've talked about how easy it is to dive into AI and all the cool
• 9:07
  things it can do.
• 9:08
  But today, let's get real-we're exploring the good,
• 9:12
  the bad, and let's be honest-the downright weird sides of AI.
• 9:17
  Let's start with the good stuff since,
• 9:19
  let's face it, AI is already kind of everywhere,
• 9:23
  right?
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  Yeah, like-it's in our pockets,
• 9:25
  our smart homes, even in our email inboxes.
• 9:28
  My email practically breathes AI with all those smart filters.
• 9:32
  And don't forget, apps like Spotify?
• 9:34
  AI's what makes it nail your 'Discover Weekly.'Exactly.
• 9:39
  It's getting so embedded in daily life that we sometimes don't even notice
• 9:43
  it.
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  And it's making everything faster,
• 9:46
  smarter, more...tailored?
• 9:49
  Like, take manufacturing.
• 9:52
  Optimizing production lines and predicting maintenance needs using AI-it's
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  making production processes more streamlined and a lot more
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  cost-effective.
• 9:57
  Oh,
• 10:01
  totally.
• 10:02
  Or think of self-driving cars.
• 10:04
  They're not just cool-they're analyzing road conditions,
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  other cars, even pedestrian behavior,
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  all at once.
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  It's bananas.
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  Safe, efficient-okay, maybe not perfect yet,
• 10:13
  though.
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  Yeah, we'll get into imperfections in a sec.
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  But first, let's talk productivity.
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  Businesses are harnessing AI to automate boring,
• 10:26
  time-sucking tasks.
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  Payroll, customer inquiries, data management-all streamlined so humans
• 10:33
  can focus on strategic stuff.
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  Or creative stuff!
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  Like Modularity Maker, our AI web builder.
• 10:40
  That's AI spinning up websites in,
• 10:42
  what, under five minutes?
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  And anyone can use it.
• 10:44
  That wasn't even a thing five years ago,
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  let alone user-friendly.
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  Right,
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  it democratizes access to complex tech.
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  Now, flip side-AI's not all sunshine and instant websites.
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  What about the biases?
• 11:02
  I mean, machines only know what they're taught.
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  Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.
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  Yeah,
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  and you see that bias creeping into decisions like loan approvals or
• 11:14
  job screenings.
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  That freaks me out.
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  Then there's the privacy issue.
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  Like, how much info are these systems collecting on us without us even
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  realizing?
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  AI is out here training on everything it can scrape off the
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  internet, and artists are getting the short end of the stick.
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  It's like, your work is just taken,
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  without credit or consent, and suddenly an AI is spitting out pieces
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  in your style.
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  These AI models-like DALL·E or MidJourney-are trained on
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  massive datasets that include copyrighted artwork.
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  And the kicker?
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  Most of those artists never agreed to it.
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  Their work was just scraped from the internet and fed into these systems
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  to teach them how to create.
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  It's like it said, "Thanks for your years of hard work,
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  but we'll take it from here."And
• 12:02
  the worst part is, these models don't even acknowledge the artists they
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  learned from.
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  No credit, no royalties-nothing.
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  It's like their entire creative voice is being co-opted by a machine
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  that doesn't even have a concept of originality.
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  And let's not forget the
• 12:21
  ethical implications here.
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  AI might not store exact copies of images,
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  but it generates works that are heavily influenced by those original
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  pieces.
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  It's not inspiration-it's replication at scale.
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  And when you see AI-generated art being sold commercially,
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  it's hard not to feel like artists are being completely cut out of the
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  equation.
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  And beyond theft we can see AI already getting away with murder.
• 12:45
  We can't overlook accountability.
• 12:50
  When United Healthcare faced those AI-related claim denials,
• 12:56
  it was basically the system deciding who lives and dies.
• 13:01
  When AI messes up, where does the buck stop?
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  Right?
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  And let's not forget job loss concerns.
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  Like, okay, automation and AI make workflows efficient,
• 13:11
  but what happens to the people those jobs used to support?
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  Honestly,
• 13:15
  I can see us getting to a point where all low skill labor jobs are replaced
• 13:21
  with automated kiosks and AI chatbots.
• 13:24
  Business only exists to drive profit,
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  and removing labor costs from the equation does just that.
• 13:31
  I am already seeing this across a wide spectrum of industries.
• 13:31
  Good point.
• 13:36
  But ironically, AI is also creating jobs.
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  Data scientists, AI engineers-it's a growing field.
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  Projected to grow by twenty-three percent in the next decade.
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  So, yeah, there're challenges,
• 13:47
  but also...opportunities.
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  New doors open as old ones close.
• 13:52
  It's a double-edged sword, for sure.
• 13:53
  Still, AI's not slowing down, and neither should we.
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  So the question becomes,
• 13:58
  how do we adapt, right?
• 13:58
  Exactly,
• 14:00
  as we were saying, AI's impact on the job market isn't just about automation
• 14:06
  replacing roles-it's driving the creation of entirely new fields.
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  Roles like data scientists and AI engineers?
• 14:14
  They're projected to grow by twenty-three percent in the next decade.
• 14:19
  Let's explore what that means.
• 14:19
  Twenty-three percent?
• 14:23
  That's huge.
• 14:24
  And those jobs-they're not just high demand,
• 14:26
  they come with sweet paychecks.
• 14:28
  Gotta say, it's an exciting time to be in tech.
• 14:28
  Absolutely.
• 14:31
  AI engineers, for example, have median salaries that hover around a hundred
• 14:39
  and thirty-six thousand USD a year.
• 14:41
  But it's not just about tech-AI's influence goes way beyond our traditional
• 14:45
  definitions of jobs.
• 14:47
  Take retail, for instance.
• 14:47
  Oh, personalization central.
• 14:50
  Retailers are crushing it with hyper-personalized shopping experiences,
• 14:53
  right?
• 14:53
  Like they know what you want before you even think to buy it.
• 14:56
  Kinda creepy but totally genius.
• 14:56
  Exactly.
• 15:00
  And then there's logistics-think UPS.
• 15:03
  They're using AI-powered systems to plan delivery routes.
• 15:08
  It's saving them millions in fuel costs and,
• 15:12
  at the same time, making deliveries faster for everyone.
• 15:15
  Efficiency that benefits both sides.
• 15:15
  Exactly.
• 15:20
  AI is opening doors across industries.
• 15:23
  From logistics to healthcare to what we do here at Modularity,
• 15:26
  it's letting us work smarter, not harder.
• 15:26
  For sure.
• 15:29
  The learning curve can feel steep,
• 15:33
  but once you embrace what AI brings to the table,
• 15:37
  the potential's pretty endless.
• 15:39
  Honestly, it's hard not to imagine where it'll take us in the next decade.
• 15:39
  Speaking
• 15:44
  of limitless potential, the way AI is reshaping industries feels like
• 15:48
  just the tip of the iceberg.
• 15:48
  Imagine what's next-not just these streamlined
• 15:52
  operations and tailored experiences,
• 15:54
  but entirely new ways of thinking about work and innovation.
• 15:54
  Everything
• 15:58
  from IBM's Deep Blue days to modern tools like Modularity Maker.
• 16:02
  AI is paving a new path for the future.
• 16:02
  Exactly.
• 16:05
  AI is exciting, it's innovative,
• 16:07
  but it's not without its challenges-whether it's biases,
• 16:10
  privacy concerns, or even accountability when things go wrong.
• 16:10
  Right!
• 16:16
  But it's helping people get smarter and people more productive.
• 16:21
  AI's like your ultimate sidekick,
• 16:23
  if you use it thoughtfully, of course.
• 16:23
  And that's what this episode was
• 16:29
  all about-understanding how to harness AI to work smarter,
• 16:32
  think bigger, and maybe make life just a little easier.
• 16:37
  If you're ready to put some of this into action,
• 16:40
  head over to Modularity Maker dot com.
• 16:43
  It's the perfect first step to getting your website online fast without
• 16:48
  blowing your budget.
• 16:48
  If you've been putting off a website for your business
• 16:53
  because of the costs, or you thought your nephew knew how to do it,
• 16:56
  now is your time to shine.
• 16:57
  You can build a simple website to get you started.
• 17:00
  Your website all on your own.
• 17:01
  Head on over to Modularity Maker dot com.
• 17:01
  And if you need to expand in
• 17:06
  the future, we are there for you as your business grows.
• 17:10
  Alright, until next time, stay curious,
• 17:12
  stay creative, and we'll catch you in the next episode.