I struggled to find my feature photo this quarter–it has both been interesting and not interesting at the same time. How can I explain? I went to a football game this month–Jaguars vs. Chiefs. I took zero photos at this game. It was a work event and honestly, it felt like a work event. I ended up leaving around halftime and naturally, that’s when things got good. However, I was fine watching from home. I went to a car show this past quarter and took one whole photo. I opted to not select it as my feature image as it was a selfie. Aside from these events, I am failing to recall anything significant occurring this quarter. There were some routine efforts, such as doctor’s visits and such.
As you know, I like to update this site every quarter, regardless of what is going on in life. My hope is that one day I will be able to utter the phrase “I’m retired” and that I will have the opportunity to read and reminisce. Whether this happens is unknown, but it is the goal. As I mentioned, this past quarter, from my perspective, has been uneventful. I have been working entirely too much.
Football season is upon us, which is a beautiful thing. I’m following both the Gators and the Jags. There are several sports apps available for smartphone which keep me tuned in not just with these teams, but the entire FBS and NFL. The weather is beginning to cool again and I miss my convertible most days.
So on to the title topic: AI, or Artificial Intelligence. At my work, we use Microsoft Teams and it silently included an option for Copilot, which is Microsoft’s implementation of AI. This was also my first significant introduction to AI. I know that ChatGPT was gaining significant buzz but I never truly worked with it. I also understand there are numerous other AI implementations out there. My use of Copilot at work transitioned to additional use at home (in a different capacity).
I’m not sure the use case which initially had me using AI, but I can tell you the most significant use case. DevOps has been a thing for a long time. For the uninitiated, DevOps surrounds the use of automation and code scripting to perform operations tasks, primarily repetitive ones such as configuring IT infrastructure (servers, routers, switches, firewalls, etc). While I do have experience working with code (from classes 20 years ago in Java, C++, and the likes), I never really dove into Python or Ansible/YAML scripting. When my company was acquired, we inherited a significant DevOps implementation. Copilot has helped me contribute by not only building the necessary code for me to perform necessary Web API-driven operations, but also explaining how it all works. Copilot has been the best teacher in this regard. And it’s always on shift and available for questions.
As far as my use of Copilot at home? It is really just “Google on steroids” in my opinion, which is slightly inaccurate now that Google Gemini (Google’s AI) is integrated into Google. I generally use it to explore my curiosities. Throughout my day to day, I’ll come up with the most random questions, such as the most popular athletes from my hometown, who actors/actresses are from my favorite shows and their life stories, etc. I’ve delved into varying interests such as MBTI or Big Five personality assessments. I’ve also used it for information on home maintenance activities and potential do-it-yourself project how-to step-by-step guides. Copilot very quickly wormed its way into my normal day-to-day use. The feature photo is part of my logo for my Yahoo fantasy team, which… I created with Copilot.
Now let’s discuss the more common concerns regarding AI. In my opinion, it does indeed allow companies to do more with less. As I stated, I am no expert with writing code. While everyone is capable of writing code with enough time researching on Google, Copilot drastically speeds up the research process, which means those unfamiliar can produce results as quickly as the same day the effort was assigned. This means you may not necessarily need to hire experienced app developers for their support, which lowers your operational footprint. My company has implemented layoffs, not necessarily directly related to AI as much as relating to overlapping roles due to the acquisition. However, I carry uncertainty as to when it will end due to the prevalence of AI. My hope is that the company will recognize those who are resourceful and adaptive as opposed to those stuck in “the way it has always been done.” If so, I am of the opinion things will work out. If there are more political directions at play, all bets are off.
I’m curious what is in store in the future. Like I mentioned, I am working entirely too much. Let’s briefly dive into that as well. When my company was acquired, we transitioned from accruing vacation throughout the year to another program called Flexible Time Off. Essentially you have the ability to take unlimited time off from work. This will naturally encourage some folks to take more time off. I’ve become acutely aware that when team members are taking time off, it results in more work for me, which is unfortunate. The biggest impact to me, though, is that previously I was able to track my time off by seeing how many accrued days were left in the year. Now, there is no limit, so I have not been tracking as well. When I did find a way to track, I discovered I have only taken half the time off that I normally do, and it is already October so it is essentially a wash. On one side, we did just get acquired so there is a sizeable project the team is working on, however, I’m doing myself a disservice by not taking more time off.