Agile Analytics and Beyond

What do US people think about AI and whether AI tools can be trusted for making decisions about us? Spoiler: we don’t trust them. Here’s a summary of one recent survey from Consumer Reports about what we think, and why we're not wrong to distrust the AI tools. Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subscribe

You know those anecdotes we’ve heard about how some people feel like their cell phones might be listening to their ‘offline’ in-person conversations and selling that info to marketers? And we’ve wondered if there’s anything to it? Many people have scoffed at these concerns, and some technical people have put forth seemingly logical explanations for why this apparent behavior doesn’t mean we’re bei...

I recently contacted someone who works in a non-technical profession to ask if I could interview them for “ AI, Software, & Wetware ”. Their initial response: “Not sure I would be of any help. I don’t even know what AI is.” And it’s obviously totally okay to not know what AI is or how it works under the hood! We don’t have to be auto mechanics to understand how to drive a car safely. And for our “...

When I said I want to feature guests from all over the world to hear & share their views on AI and how it’s affecting their lives, I meant it. 😊 And that means I’m analyzing data on where committed and future guests for “AI, Software, & Wetware” are based (along with other demographics) . Here’s a quick summary of how my global search for guests is coming so far, as of Sept. 5, 2024 . The Substac...

Here’s some good news about an AI tool I discovered today that adds real value to the world by improving accuracy and efficiency for diagnosing lung conditions from chest X-rays. This episode also includes some tips on the biggest myths about lung cancer, and a few things we can all do to reduce the hit it will take on us and those we love. For more information about lung cancer diagnosis and earl...

A recent piece on "neotoddlerism" focused on dismay over HOW someone is protesting. It gives those feelings priority over WHAT they are protesting. The WHATs deserve more of our attention. And it's on us if the media focuses on the wrong things - the HOWs and not the WHATs - when they report on protests. We the people are “the system” that rewards this type of pandering by the media. We need to ow...

I committed in March to doing (and sharing) a retrospective each month on how I’m doing vs. my “STELLAR” goals. Here’s what I’ve learned in my 5th full month on Substack, and what I’m going to do differently in August. How It Started How It’s Going What’s Next Thanks for reading Agile Analytics and Beyond ! Subscribe for FREE to receive new posts (these retrospectives are monthly, in the agile sec...

📣 Coming soon: Announcing a new 'interview' series with personal stories on how AI/ML technologies are affecting the work and home lives of real people. AI technologies have great potential for good, as well as for great harm. We need to understand both. All of these real stories deserve to be heard. Do you have a story about how you're using AI & ML tools - or about how AI & ML companies are usi...

Insights and questions on why some people fear equity initiatives, why it's not a zero-sum game, and why equal rights for others isn't pie. Includes descriptions of 3 cartoons on gender inequality, Jane Elliott's famous seminar question about race, and two things we can all do to address these fears and biases, and help us all build a more equitable society. Like planting a tree and so many other...

Today we're looking at the differences between equality and equity , and how the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation used feedback and data on an 'equality vs equity' analogy & graphic to improve on it twice. I'll cover 3 analogies: baseball games, bicycles, and a crosswalk. All images included in the online article and described in this episode are used with permission from RWJF and Raven Solomon Ente...

Whether to tag connections in posts or comments or not at all, thoughts on why 'flock' is better than 'tribe' for a like-minded social community, and a poll. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a 100% reader-supported publication. All new posts are FREE to read. To automatically receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley....

Most of us have to write for our jobs and daily lives. We write emails, letters, resumes, and so much more. Some of us even want to write (hello, Substackers 👋 ). I’m working this year on becoming a better writer. If you’re curious about better writing, too, this episode covers my explorations of measuring readability accurately enough to be useful for improving my writing on a shoestring budget...

A personal story on building knowledge and curiosity, with credit to my dad. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subscribe

Lots of hubbub this week about how OpenAI created the “Sky” voice that somehow sounded just like Scarlett Johansson, despite her clearly-expressed NO when her consent was sought. (Good for her for fighting back!) Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access...

How a disc golf lesson helped me get better results and have more fun in work and life. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subscribe

Too long? Too short? Analyzing my Substack post lengths Thanks in part to a post by Russell Nohelty about his thoughts on post sizes, I realized in my March retrospective that I need to plan writing effort on my posts based on sizes. But what’s “short” and what’s “long” for me and for my readers? To evaluate size thresholds, I looked through two lenses: my own data, and industry practices. This po...

This article on " Inconvenient Principles " is on why I don’t use generative AI for creating images (or audio, video, ...) for my publications and other work, and what has to happen before I will. I went on the record recently about why I don’t use generative AI for helping me write , and why I don’t ever expect to change that position. This post is about why I don’t currently use generative AI fo...

In “ Through the viewfinder: Seeing with photos ”, I described how taking pictures helps me SEE . Here’s one example of how my pictures also prompt me to THINK . Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/...

I love taking photos, especially pictures that help me see or make me think. Here's a story about a favorite photo that helped me see, and 3 reasons why it's a favorite. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber ! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.subst...

" AI Without AI " - My AI usage policy page, on why all of my posts (even on AI) are 100% human-authored, and why I think every website needs an AI usage policy page. AI and tech have their place, certainly - that’s a big part of what I write about (by myself here in Agile Analytics and Beyond , and with my collaborators on Six P's in AI Pods). When I joined Substack in January, I committed that a...

What the data does & doesn't tell us about why older Americans are struggling (as well as younger ones), and what we can all do to save some starfish (young and old). (credit to “The Who” for title reference to their 1966 song, The Kids Are Alright) "Don't regret growing older. It's a privilege denied to many." - source unknown “Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” - Maurice Ch...

Announcing a "State of the Union" overview and deep dive into what's new, and ethical concerns, about use of generative AI for creating and customizing music. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subs...

Nope, I'm STILL not comfortable with calling use of SAFe (to improve predictability) an ‘agile transformation’ Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subscribe

Four hard-won tips for candidates, from being on both sides of the virtual job search 'table'. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.com/subscribe

I was nicely challenged in a recent interview to share how and why I came to care about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Answering was harder than I expected. Agile Analytics and Beyond is a FREE reader-supported newsletter. To automatically receive new posts and let me know you support my work, consider becoming a subscriber! Get full access to Everyday Ethical AI at karensmiley.substack.c...