The conversation took off like the flyover of the Thunderbirds at Super Bowl LIV, bouncing between the thrilling game's overtime drama and what got into Kelce's shorts; ending with Mule and JP diving into the excitement of the game and pondering how the new rules could shake things up.

The conversation quickly turned to the theme of the gathering; Artificial Intelligence (AI). JP wondered how it's possible to have Artificial Intelligence when we haven't mastered real intelligence. Even Ricky Gervais' jabs at the intelligence of the "average person on the street", where he makes the statement that the average person on the streets is stupid, so don't ask them.

Soon, all nonsense aside (well, most nonsense... some nonsense?) the subject which is the theme of this episode finally entrenched itself; from customs brokerage, content creation, and voice recognition. JP and Mule sparred over whether AI-generated content could truly hold its own, whether it's crafting web articles or sorting through customs forms. They even scratched their heads over the moral maze of AI; worrying about biases and fairness.

But wait, there's more! The talk then turned to AI's potential in saving lives and solving big scientific puzzles, like sniffing out cancer early and crunching through mountains of data. Of course, worries about AI taking over our jobs popped up, but everyone agreed: humans and AI can be a dream team if we play our cards right.

Then came the deep dive into how AI is shaking up industries like manufacturing and pharma, with automation creeping in but also bringing promises of supercharged productivity and smarter decisions.

Through it all, there was a healthy dose of doubt about AI's superhero status and plenty of talk about the ethics of it all. Everyone agreed: AI needs a good teacher, a pat on the back now and then, and a watchful human eye to keep it on the straight and narrow.

The chatter hammered home one big idea: AI and humanity are like dance partners, spinning through the world together. It's a tricky tango, but with the right moves, we can waltz into a future where AI makes life better for all of us.

Give a listen!

Welp, to start-off the year, JP pulled a major boner. We got together for this session on January 8th and it was a pretty good session; that is, until JP realized he forgot to hit the "record" button at the end of the session when he went to turn the recording off… DOH!

So, you will understand the much deserved razzing at the beginning of the session as everyone takes turns bustin' on JP.

Mule starts us off with a prediction that the robotics team that he coaches will crush all the other teams on their way to victory in the Chesapeake District. But his other prediction (albeit, a prediction that affects very few people) is the number of companies that are going to be scratching their heads over the changes in how research and development investments and expenses are treated.

Peter joins us and shares that he has had a poor go of it fishing for carp, they aren't biting. JP asks if he eats the carp, and Peter shares his recipe. You clean the carp and wrap it around an ash stick and bake it in the oven for an hour. Then you throw the fish away and eat the stick.

A real trooper, Don joins us all the way from China where he is commissioning a machine for a customer and visiting other vendors while there. His big prediction is it will be the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens in the Superbowl, and that it will end in a tie; a claim he refused to abandon even though the Superbowl could never end in a tie.

So that means we have guests who are from scattered places across the globe. There is Stephane in France (where it was 1800h), Peter from the United Kingdom (where it was 1700h), Donna and JP in New York, Mule in Virginia (all from 1200h), and Don in China (where it was 0100h, the next day) on this session.

Stephane predicts that every session at The Outliers Inn will start with everyone reminding JP to hit the "record" button. He also muses what will happen when AI meets quantum computing; and this sets the subject thread for the rest of the session; predictions regarding AI and sharing hopes and dreams as well as the good, the bad, and the ugly.

JP shares that he predicts copywriters will be challenged to remain gainfully employed. He is already using ChatGPT to create or refine webpages and other marketing collateral. But is not satisfied the capabilities can replace a writer who has established a writing style (he calls it a writer's "voice"). And, of course, he is always wary of "deep fakes" in an age where people already don't trust what they are seeing in the news.

The discussion gets as varied as it is deep; deep what, is the question. Give a listen.

Oh, and assuming everything in play proceeds on its present trajectory and nothing new or major is introduced, JP boldly predicts Donald Trump will be re-elected President.

Give a listen!