Recurrent Patterns
Recurrent Patterns is a venture exploring strategies and insights around leading-edge companies, technology and cultural trends. Vaclav engages with leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, authors and others who can share their perspectives in long-form conversations.
For regular updates sign up here.
Alexa's Identity Crisis
One of the problems of voice-activated virtual assistants is finding the sweet spot of conversation length. Amazon's Alexa team is working hard on that problem.
The fight for your desktop
Big Brother is coming to your desktop. First it was Microsoft with Recall. Now Google with Anthropic are releasing tech that will be taking screenshots of your computer and controlling your mouse and keyboard.
New lipstick, same pig
Is it Worldcoin or World? Same, same, no different. It is just new lipstick on the same pig.
‘Cyber’ is back by popular demand
Most of us have heard of 'AI washing' by now. The recent proliferation of 'cyber' products is the next step in this pattern. Here are two examples: The first is Tesla's Cybercab, with its opaque business model. The second is 'cybercheck' technology from Global Intelligence, which allegedly helps fight crime.
The trouble with domain names
What do '.ai,' '.ly' and '.io' have in common? They all carry a risk for you to become homeless on the web.
Humans 2 : AI 0
What does it mean to 'set AI free?' Users are finding ways to get ChatGPT to give answers that violate its use policy.
Here's how.
LinkedIn's continuous slide into AI nothingness
When a company runs out of innovative ideas, it turns to AI. In LinkedIn's case, it is powered by HS — Human Stupidity.
AI, the broken brand promise of tech
Poolside AI is valued at $3 billion, yet it has no product — just a promise of building AI for software engineering. Here are the challenges which will make it hard for the Poolside team to execute this vision. And dangerous road ahead.
Software with a Soul
A VC firm is writing about why Software with a Soul (SwaS) will be the next thing. It bases it on the fact that ChatGPT can write a poem about a dog.
There’s WALL-E. And then there’s VALL-E
Remember when Scarlett Johansson was upset OpenAI's bot sounded like her? Microsoft has found a way to mimic your speech with a 3-second recording of your voice. What can possibly go wrong.