Weekly Update | New Beginnings | Canva Price Gouging | AI Listening | GenZ Workplace Expectations | Slanderous AI

Future-Focused with Christopher Lind

If you're stateside, I hope you had a phenomenal Labor Day weekend and enjoyed the abbreviated week. It's been a wild one here on the personal front and the intersection of business, tech, and human experience.

With that, let's get to it. New Beginnings - I've been hinting that I had some personal news coming for the past couple of weeks, and the secret is out. My wife and I recently gave birth to baby #8, and it's been a fantastic new beginning on the heels of the end of my time at ChenMed. Yet, there's been some essential life lessons learned through the experience. Canva Price Gouging? - 400% price hike?!? Say what?! While many are reeling from Canva's recent pricing changes, there's more to it than meets the eye. While I'd have had some spirited conversations about the strategy, it makes sense, given the cost associated with their AI investment. However, was their investment in things any of their customers wanted? AI Active Listening - It's strange when you open your favorite social app, and that thing you were just talking about shows up as a "promoted post," but is it the result of CMG's active listening? I'm not entirely convinced, but I still think there's reason to shine a light on the matter. Gen Z Office Drama - Those darn Gen Zers and all their needs, amirite?! Reading WSJ's article about how much bosses struggle with their Gen Z employees got me visibly upset for many reasons. We're dealing with individuals, not a group of clones. And, from what I can tell, everything they're asking for seems pretty reasonable. But hey, shameless plug for how I can help. Hallucinations Gone Wrong - Imagine you ChatGPT yourself only to get a comprehensive description that's completely false and defamatory. Well, as one German court reporter discovered, it's not a possibility left to our imaginations. The sadder part was the lack of legal recourse to amend the problem. Show Notes: In this Weekly Update, Christopher shares a major personal update of welcoming a new baby while transitioning from his previous job. He discusses the complexities of keeping personal news private and the societal pressures of living up to others' expectations. The episode transitions into significant tech news, including a massive price hike by Canva and the controversial leaked presentation about data harvesting by Cox Media Group. He also addresses misconceptions about Gen Z in the workplace and highlights the importance of individual relationships. Lastly, the he covers the implications of AI errors, using the example of a court reporter wrongly labeled by an AI tool, and emphasizes the need for vigilance in digital footprint management. 00:00 - Introduction 01:15 - New Beginnings: Welcome Baby 8 11:53 - Canva's Price Hike: Hidden Costs of AI 23:01 - Leaked Presentation: Privacy Concerns with Smart Devices 31:40 - Gen Z in the Workforce 39:28 - AI Slander: Dangers of AI Misinterpretation 45:50 - Final Thoughts and Cautionary Advice #AI #GenZ #Leadership #Parenting #Futureofwork