This year at the AKL Conference was prominently marked by discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The rapid advancements in AI, significantly propelled by platforms like OpenAI and ChatGPT, have captured the attention of key decision-makers in leading companies such as Trumpf and Coherent. The plenary talk particularly emphasized the potential applications, implications, and the urgent need for Europe to act before falling behind. The debate highlighted concerns about the United States and China leading the way, while the European Union lags due to stringent regulations. A recurrent theme was the term “cyberphotonic,” which seems to blend photonics and virtualization, involving …
Category: Opinion
My Five-Month Journey with AI: Expectations vs Reality
So, 5 months ago, I have written a post about Artificial Intelligence and General Artificial Intelligence. You can see the tone from my first post was very optimistic, a little too much maybe, with the hope that things would accelerate soon. I have been using AI a lot recently and I want to report on my understanding of what AI can and can’t do and how to use it as effectively as possible. Small disclaimer: I have mostly used ChatGPT, and a little of the other Large Language Models (LLMs) like Bard and Llama, so I will mostly talk about …
Artificial intelligence and the new normal
So that is it. I have been, like many others following what is the biggest paradigm shift of the past hundred years. In my opinion, the true next big step in human history that is being taken right now, as some people might seem to realize it, but also as many others simply ignore. In the early 20th century, the invention of the combustion motor changed everything. From the way people moved to the way people generated electricity, to how they worked. Basically, artificial intelligence is here to do the same, with unforeseen consequences. I have a history of being …
Digital photonics and laser lightning rods from AKL22
I was at AKL 22 a couple of weeks ago: the international laser technology congress at Aachen, Germany. I was present for the interesting technology conference and the live presentations at Fraunhofer ILT. I have to say that after 2 years of Covid and only being able to assist to virtual conferences if available was a breath of fresh air. Virtual events are nice and you can still learn a few things, but physical events are something else. You are invested in what you hear and there is less distraction than in the office. The best part is that you …