Weekend Briefing No. 525
AI and Faith -- AI and Loneliness -- Active Versus Passive Learning
Welcome to the weekend.
Prime Numbers
78,000,000 — There are 78 million Americans who listen to AM radio on a monthly basis, down from 107 million in 2016.
64 — From July to December of 2023, the percentage of Gen Z and millennial women who had a favorable opinion of the NFL increased from 53% to 64%.
43 — A survey of workers found that 43% said that working from home made them more productive, 14% said that it made them less productive and 43% said that it didn’t make a difference either way.
AI and Faith
As generative artificial intelligence (AI) has become ubiquitous, I’ve been thinking a lot about how AI and faith interact and what issues it raises. Here are a few: 1) The blurry lines between human, machine and deity: As AI becomes more conversational, it's easy to ascribe human or godlike traits to algorithms. Chatbots can feel like oracles, creating intimacy with a higher power. 2) Exploring moral responsibility to conscious beings: Questions around AI and consciousness prompt debates on the definitions and limits of consciousness. Some ask if conscious AI systems deserve moral consideration. 3) Compatibility with religious values and ethics: Many examine how AI aligns with religious values and ethics. The Pope called for AI regulations to uphold compassion and human rights. 4) The rise of religious robots: In India, worship robots raised concerns about AI's role in Hindu devotion and potential blasphemy. 5) Exacerbating societal problems: Some worry AI worsens inequality, with underpaid workers training algorithms that extract cognitive resources. Project Liberty (6 minutes)
AI and Loneliness
How might ChatGPT influence people’s feelings of loneliness and supportiveness. Importantly, does it have a net positive benefit for users’ well being and belonging? A team of researchers asked 387 participants about their usage of AI, as well as their general experience of social connection and support. They found that: 1) Participants who used AI more tended to feel more supported by their AI compared to people whose support came mainly from close friends. 2) The more a participant used AI, the higher their feeling of social support from the AI was. 3) The more a participant felt socially supported by AI, the lower their feeling of support was from close friends and family. 5) Although not true across the board, on average, human social support was the largest predictor of lower loneliness. The research suggests social support from AI can be positive, but it doesn’t provide all the benefits of social support from other people — especially when it comes to loneliness. When used in moderation, a relationship with an AI bot could provide positive, functional and emotional benefits. But the key is understanding that although it might make you feel supported, it’s unlikely to help you build enough of a sense of belonging to stop you from feeling lonely. Freethink (7 minutes)
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Active Versus Passive Learning
There’s a difference between active and passive learning. Active learning: Someone tells you what to learn and how to learn it, on a set schedule, on pre-selected standardized topics. Passive learning: You let your mind wander with no intended destination. You read and learn broadly. You talk to people from various backgrounds. You stumble haphazardly across topics you had never considered but spark your curiosity, often because it’s the topic you happen to need at that specific time of your life. If you want to promote passive learning, then: 1) Don’t contain your learning to your own profession or major. Read and learn as broadly as possible. A big part of passive learning is going out of your way to read and learn from the widest variety of topics you can, intentionally looking for similarities between different fields. When you do, you’ll be stunned at how easy and fun it is to stumble on a new idea that teaches you how the world works. 2) Give employees time to think. Give yourself time to ponder. If you, as a boss, expect that learning stops at graduation and employees are merely meant to produce work, you will get the kind of employees you deserve. Collab Fund (6 minutes)
Improve Your Life
This article has six tips to improve your life. Here are a couple that really intrigued me: 1) Embracing the concept of "being the best at having terrible ideas" is crucial for groundbreaking ideas. Often, incremental changes receive support, but true innovation lies in discarding obvious solutions and daring to explore bizarre and unconventional ideas. By interrupting default thoughts and intentionally seeking bad ideas, you can foster creativity and discover novel solutions. 2) The key to a long-lasting relationship is establishing a "love triangle," not the dramatic kind seen in telenovelas. In this context, the love triangle involves three steps: trust, testing that trust by sharing vulnerabilities and continually building intimacy. By openly admitting weaknesses and sharing vulnerabilities with your partner, you can deepen your relationship and experience genuine, meaningful love. TED (6 minutes)
Living Funeral
Picture the scene: All your friends and family have gathered together to celebrate your life. They share heartfelt tributes about how much you’ve meant to them, and they laugh together at memorable moments. Some use it as a chance to say the things they wish they’d said to you earlier. This probably sounds like a regular funeral, but what if there was one crucial difference? What if the person on the receiving end of this outpouring of love were still alive and able to attend? Living funerals, which are also known as pre-funerals, offer a chance for people to say goodbye to their friends and families on their own terms and to celebrate their life while they are still alive. Five people hosted their own living funerals and shared experiences about their special day. The Guardian (9 minutes)
Did the Future Already Happen?
I’m fascinated by the concept of time. Some scientists think that the idea of “now” only makes sense near you but not in the universe as a whole. Others think that time itself doesn’t even exist — that the whole concept is an illusion of our human mind. And others think that time does exist, but that it’s not a fundamental feature of the universe. Rather, time may be something that emerges from a deeper level of reality, just like heat emerges from the motion of individual molecules or life emerges from the interactions of lifeless proteins. Check out this mind bending video on the subject. Kurzgesagt (13 minutes… if time even exists)
Should We Work Together?
Hi! I’m Kyle. This newsletter is my passion project. When I’m not writing, I run a law firm that helps startups move fast without breaking things. Most founders want a trusted legal partner, but they hate surprise legal bills. At Westaway, we take care of your startup’s legal needs for a flat, monthly fee so you can control your costs and focus on scaling your business. If you’re interested, let’s jump on a call to see if you’re a good fit for the firm. Click here to schedule a one-on-one call with me.
Founder Fridays
Check out my other email Founder Fridays — a Friday morning briefing helping startup founders and operators scale smarter.
Weekend Wisdom
It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness. Nothing more. -Albus Dumbledore