Welcome to Digitally Curious , a podcast to help you navigate the future of AI and beyond . Your host is world-renowned futurist and author of Digitally Curious , Andrew Grill . Every episode is filled with actionable advice about technology that will help enhance you and your business .
Welcome to the Digitally Curious podcast , and today's episode is a little different . As I'm sure you're aware , I've just published my new book , digitally Curious , and it's now available around the world . The reception has been overwhelmingly positive and I believe it's a book that will help many people better understand the technology that surrounds us .
I've already been interviewed on a number of podcasts about the book and you can find links to these in the show notes . I wanted to showcase the book Digitally Curious on the podcast of the same name , but it would be strange for me to interview myself Today . I presented at the Skillsoft London Perspectives event at the Shard .
My topic was the future of work in the age of AI . I always strive to present the latest thinking in my keynotes and in preparing . I wanted to try out the new Google product , notebook LM , which stands for Notebook Language Model . You can access it via notebooklmgoogle . In Google's own words , can access it via notebooklmgoogle .
In Google's own words , notebook LM is your personalized AI research assistant , powered by Google's most capable model , gemini 1.5 Pro . One of the cool features is the ability to upload your own data and have it turned into a podcast with two AI generated hosts . I decided to try this out with the book .
I uploaded the book's PDF containing 74,000 words and pushed the button to make a podcast . I did nothing else . Five minutes later , what you hear next is what was produced verbatim . I've not edited the 12-minute AI-generated podcast in any way , so , mind blown , let's listen to the deep dive on Digitally Curious .
Hey everyone and welcome back . We're diving deep this time on the deep dive , really getting into Andrew Grill's Digitally Curious .
Yeah , and we've got a ton to unpack .
We do Excerpts from the book , some related articles , even podcast appearances . Really amazing stuff .
A real treasure trove , exactly . So we're going to dig into what he really means by this whole digital curiosity thing , why it should matter an ivory tower . This is a guy who wrote his first program at six years old Wow , six years old .
I was like playing with dolls at six .
He's been on the front lines of technology for over three decades , leading teams at IBM , living and breathing the changes most of us just read about .
Right , it's like his journey as the evolution of tech . Yeah , and he's adamant that digital curiosity isn't just about having the latest phone or knowing how to code , it's a mindset , right .
Absolutely .
And girl says you can like kickstart yours by picking one new technology every week and just diving in .
I love that .
Read about it , play with it , see how it works . It's about being proactive , a seeker of knowledge , not just a passive consumer of it .
Yeah , there's a real reason why . It points to research showing that businesses led by digitally curious people are well seriously outperforming everyone else they're not just keeping up .
It sounds like they're gaining a real edge .
Exactly .
He even has this concept . He calls it the Starbucks test . Have you ever noticed how you'll be like overhearing people at a coffee shop and suddenly everyone's talking about some new tech ? That's your cue , grill says . That means that tech is about to hit the mainstream . So if you're already in the know , you're already ahead of the game .
It's about spotting the next big thing before it's everywhere , understanding its potential impact and being ready to adapt and even like , capitalize on it before anyone else .
And speaking of the next big thing , we have to talk about chat , gpt , oh , yeah . Grill says that when it exploded onto the scene in 2022 , it was a wake up call for everyone , even like tech veterans like himself .
Definitely .
Suddenly , AI wasn't some far off concept . Concept , it was here and it was changing everything .
And Grill doesn't just jump on the AI bandwagon , he takes us all the way back to the beginning .
Oh , interesting .
He traces AI from Alan Turing's mind-blowing question can machines think ?
It's a big one .
All the way to the latest breakthroughs in deep learning . It's a fascinating journey that gives us the context to really understand where AI is going .
I love that he emphasizes that AI isn't about robots taking over the world , which , let's be honest , we've all thought about at some point , right .
Of course , but Grill stresses that it's about understanding both the strengths and delimitations of this technology , being able to separate the hype from the reality .
So how do we go from AI being this big , mysterious thing to actually using it in our everyday work lives ?
Well , grill really emphasizes the need for a strategic approach . Okay , yeah , he says it's not about finding some magic AI button to fix everything Right , but rather like identifying specific tasks or processes where AI can really add value .
OK , so start small .
Exactly Experiment , see what works .
Yeah , he also says something that I think is so important Don't underestimate change management .
Absolutely .
Bringing in any new technology can be disruptive .
Yeah .
But especially something like AI right .
It's true , people can be resistant to change , especially if they feel like their jobs are on the line .
Yeah .
Grill says it's about bringing everyone on board , getting them comfortable with the technology , giving them the training and support they need to succeed in this new landscape .
I love how he gives readers those actionable steps . He calls it the Curious Five Challenge .
Right .
And encourages listeners to engage with AI directly .
Yeah , get your hands dirty .
That could be anything from like testing out an AI writing tool to actually exploring AI use cases in their own industries .
It's about making AI less abstract and more tangible , yeah , showing you how it can be relevant to your work and your life .
OK , so we've covered a ton of ground on AI we have , but Grill doesn't stop there , right ? Nope , he argues that being digitally curious means understanding the entire tech landscape .
And it's always evolving .
And a big part of that is , like the often overlooked backbone of it all Cloud computing .
The backbone , absolutely , and he doesn't just throw out jargon . No , he's good at that .
He really breaks down those different cloud models .
Yeah , public private hybrid .
And focuses on like one key difference with each one yeah . Like with the public cloud . He says it's all about affordability and scalability .
Makes sense . Yeah , you only pay for what you use .
And then he dives into security , which is something everyone seems to worry about with the cloud right .
Yeah , it comes up a lot .
Grill argues that it's often more secure than traditional on-premises systems , interesting Especially with all the advanced security measures that cloud providers have in place .
They have whole teams dedicated to it .
Right . It's their bread and butter and to really bring it home . He talks about Origo , a company that's developing those . What are they called ?
Autonomous vehicles .
Yes , autonomous vehicles , and they're using cloud services combined with a 5G network to allow for remote supervision of their vehicles . This is fascinating . It's a real-world example of how these technologies are converging to create something totally new .
It's amazing to see it in action .
Speaking of real-world impact , we have to talk about the Internet of Things .
Oh yeah , or as the cool kids call it , IOT .
IOT Right Grill points out that IOT is already deeply embedded in our lives .
Oh , for sure .
Even if we don't always realize it . It's everything from smart homes and fitness trackers to the smart refrigerators that can like order groceries for you . I know , I know my fridge orders me more oat milk than I could ever drink . But on a serious note , Okay .
Okay .
Grill points out that the real power of IoT lies in its potential across industries .
Right , it's bigger than just our kitchens .
He talks about healthcare with remote patient monitoring , retail with like personalized shopping experience .
Oh yeah , those targeted ads are getting scary . Good , I know . Like , how do they know I needed that ?
Even manufacturing , with real time data analysis to optimize production .
It's revolutionizing so many fields .
And , of course , we can't talk about interconnected devices without mentioning 5G .
It's the glue that holds it all together mentioning 5G .
It's the glue that holds it all together . Grill takes the time to explain 5G in a way that even like your tech challenged uncle could understand .
That's a high bar .
He walks us through each generation of mobile technology , like clearly laying out what makes 5G different .
It's about time someone did .
He also clears up some confusion around those standalone and non-standalone 5G networks which I think a lot of us , myself included , find a bit confusing .
Definitely .
He really breaks it down and makes it crystal clear .
I like that . No jargon .
He doesn't shy away from the challenges either , like the need for a lot more infrastructure if we want to unleash the full potential of 5G .
We need those cell towers .
And the security concerns that come with having , like billions of devices connected to the internet .
Yeah , security is always a moving target .
Right . But he's also really optimistic about the possibilities like using 5G to power smart cities .
Imagine that .
Create truly immersive entertainment experiences . Oh man , Even enable remote surgery .
The possibilities are mind boggling .
It's about looking beyond the hype to see the real world applications and understanding how those applications impact our daily lives , but it sounds like Grill is all about prepping us for what's next thought this was something straight out of Star Trek , until I really dug into it . Yeah , it does sound a bit like science fiction .
It does .
But Grill actually makes it surprisingly accessible . Okay , even if you don't have , you know , a physics degree . He explains how these quantum computers use things called crebits , which can be both a zero and a one at the same time .
Wait what ? How is that even possible ? It's quantum mechanics . It's like they operate on another level entirely , which lets them tackle problems that would take traditional computers well , basically forever .
So much faster .
Exponentially faster .
He uses this really interesting example of fertilizer production .
Oh yeah , it's not something like most of us think about every day , not exactly a glamorous topic , I know right , but it's actually a hugely energy intensive process . Oh , wow . And Grill says that quantum computers could be the key to designing , like way more efficient enzymes for this process .
Okay , making a real impact on , you know , energy consumption in the environment .
That's amazing . So it's not just about , like making computers faster , it's about solving real world problems .
Exactly , and that's just you know . One example Drug discovery , material science , financial modeling , quantum computing could completely revolutionize all of them . It's a lot to take in , it is , it is , and you know , grill doesn't shy away from the potential downsides either .
Because there always are some Right , always .
He talks about something called Q-Day , which you know sounds a little ominous , to be honest .
It does what is ?
Q-Day . It's this idea that quantum computers will get so powerful that they could actually crack the encryption that protects , well , basically everything online .
Everything Our bank accounts , our email , like everything .
Pretty much yeah .
That's a scary thought .
It is , and Grill is very upfront about this threat , you know , encouraging everyone to start thinking about quantum-resistant encryption now , but he also reassures us that Q-Day is still a while away , maybe a decade or more .
Okay , so their eye is time to figure it out .
There is , it's not an immediate crisis .
That's a relief . So , as always with like emerging tech , it's about being aware of both the amazing possibilities and , you know , the potential downsides .
Right . And speaking of possibilities , Grill doesn't just stop at quantum computing .
No .
He takes us even further into the future with this idea of , well , the lines between the digital and physical worlds , you know , blurring completely .
OK , now , this is where it gets really sci-fi . What does that even look like ?
Well , he paints this really vivid picture of a world with things like digital pills that can , like , perform full body scans from the inside .
What .
Smart watches that can predict health problems before you even have symptoms .
No way .
Even information beamed directly to our retinas .
Okay , that's a little freaky , I'm not going to lie .
It sounds both incredible and a little unnerving .
Right , yeah , like are we ready to live in a world where technology is that integrated into our lives ?
That's exactly the question Grill leaves us with .
He does like to make us think , doesn't he ?
He does . Are we going to just be swept along by these technological waves or are we going to actively participate in shaping this future ? It's a powerful challenge .
It is , and it kind of brings us back to that core idea of digital curiosity , doesn't it ?
Absolutely . It's not just about , you know , staying ahead of the curve or impressing your friends with your knowledge of the latest gadgets .
Right .
It's about understanding how these technologies are going to impact our lives , our work , our societies even , and using that understanding to make informed choices about the future that we want to create .
It's like Gorilla saying look , the future is being written right now and you have a chance to grab the pen and , like add your own chapter .
I love that .
It's exciting , it's daunting and , honestly , it's a little bit terrifying .
Well , at the same time .
But it's up to us to decide what role we want to play .
And that's the beauty of it , right .
It is .
It's about embracing that constant learning , that drive to understand , that willingness to engage with the unknown . It's what makes this whole journey so fascinating .
Absolutely so . Go out there , get curious and let's shape this future together . That's our deep dive for today . Thanks for joining us .
So what did you think ? I don't think this will immediately replace podcast or podcast host . However , it may be a new way to present written information . We all have different learning styles , and so perhaps this would help people learn who prefer to listen instead of reading content .
I look forward to your thoughts on this and also the content from my AI host about the book . If you'd like to pick up a copy of the book , head to curiousclick forward . Slash order and , as always , I encourage you to stay curious .
Thank you for listening to Digitally Curious . You can find all of our previous shows at digitallycuriousai . Until next time , we invite you to stay digitally curious .