Day: June 15, 2024

  • The New Chatbots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them?

    The New Chatbots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them?

    The New Chatbots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them?

    This month, Jeremy Howard, an artificial intelligence researcher, introduced an online chatbot called ChatGPT to his 7-year-old daughter. It had been released a few days earlier by OpenAI, one of the world’s most ambitious A.I. labs.

    He told her to ask the experimental chatbot whatever came to mind. She asked what trigonometry was good for, where black holes came from and why chickens incubated their eggs. Each time, it answered in clear, well-punctuated prose. When she asked for a computer program that could predict the path of a ball thrown through the air, it gave her that, too.

    Over the next few days, Mr. Howard — a data scientist and professor whose work inspired the creation of ChatGPT and similar technologies — came to see the chatbot as a new kind of personal tutor. It could teach his daughter math, science and English, not to mention a few other important lessons. Chief among them: Do not believe everything you are told.

    “It is a thrill to see her learn like this,” he said. “But I also told her: Don’t trust everything it gives you. It can make mistakes.”

    OpenAI is among the many companies, academic labs and independent researchers working to build more advanced chatbots. These systems cannot exactly chat like a human, but they often seem to. They can also retrieve and repackage information with a speed that humans never could. They can be thought of as digital assistants — like Siri or Alexa — that are better at understanding what you are looking for and giving it to you.

    After the release of ChatGPT — which has been used by more than a million people — many experts believe these new chatbots are poised to reinvent or even replace internet search engines like Google and Bing.

    They can serve up information in tight sentences, rather than long lists of blue links. They explain concepts in ways that people can understand. And they can deliver facts, while also generating business plans, term paper topics and other new ideas from scratch.

    “You now have a computer that can answer any question in a way that makes sense to a human,” said Aaron Levie, chief executive of a Silicon Valley company, Box, and one of the many executives exploring the ways these chatbots will change the technological landscape. “It can extrapolate and take ideas from different contexts and merge them together.”

    The new chatbots do this with what seems like complete confidence. But they do not always tell the truth. Sometimes, they even fail at simple arithmetic. They blend fact with fiction. And as they continue to improve, people could use them to generate and spread untruths.

    Google recently built a system specifically for conversation, called LaMDA, or Language Model for Dialogue Applications. This spring, a Google engineer claimed it was sentient. It was not, but it captured the public’s imagination.

    Aaron Margolis, a data scientist in Arlington, Va., was among the limited number of people outside Google who were allowed to use LaMDA through an experimental Google app, AI Test Kitchen. He was consistently amazed by its talent for open-ended conversation. It kept him entertained. But he warned that it could be a bit of a fabulist — as was to be expected from a system trained from vast amounts of information posted to the internet.

    “What it gives you is kind of like an Aaron Sorkin movie,” he said. Mr. Sorkin wrote “The Social Network,” a movie often criticized for stretching the truth about the origin of Facebook. “Parts of it will be true, and parts will not be true.”

    He recently asked both LaMDA and ChatGPT to chat with him as if it were Mark Twain. When he asked LaMDA, it soon described a meeting between Twain and Levi Strauss, and said the writer had worked for the bluejeans mogul while living in San Francisco in the mid-1800s. It seemed true. But it was not. Twain and Strauss lived in San Francisco at the same time, but they never worked together.

    Scientists call that problem “hallucination.” Much like a good storyteller, chatbots have a way of taking what they have learned and reshaping it into something new — with no regard for whether it is true.

    LaMDA is what artificial intelligence researchers call a neural network, a mathematical system loosely modeled on the network of neurons in the brain. This is the same technology that translates between French and English on services like Google Translate and identifies pedestrians as self-driving cars navigate city streets.

    A neural network learns skills by analyzing data. By pinpointing patterns in thousands of cat photos, for example, it can learn to recognize a cat.

    Five years ago, researchers at Google and labs like OpenAI started designing neural networks that analyzed enormous amounts of digital text, including books, Wikipedia articles, news stories and online chat logs. Scientists call them “large language models.” Identifying billions of distinct patterns in the way people connect words, numbers and symbols, these systems learned to generate text on their own.

    Their ability to generate language surprised many researchers in the field, including many of the researchers who built them. The technology could mimic what people had written and combine disparate concepts. You could ask it to write a “Seinfeld” scene in which Jerry learns an esoteric mathematical technique called a bubble sort algorithm — and it would.

    With ChatGPT, OpenAI has worked to refine the technology. It does not do free-flowing conversation as well as Google’s LaMDA. It was designed to operate more like Siri, Alexa and other digital assistants. Like LaMDA, ChatGPT was trained on a sea of digital text culled from the internet.

    As people tested the system, it asked them to rate its responses. Were they convincing? Were they useful? Were they truthful? Then, through a technique called reinforcement learning, it used the ratings to hone the system and more carefully define what it would and would not do.

    “This allows us to get to the point where the model can interact with you and admit when it’s wrong,” said Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer. “It can reject something that is inappropriate, and it can challenge a question or a premise that is incorrect.”

    The method was not perfect. OpenAI warned those using ChatGPT that it “may occasionally generate incorrect information” and “produce harmful instructions or biased content.” But the company plans to continue refining the technology, and reminds people using it that it is still a research project.

    Google, Meta and other companies are also addressing accuracy issues. Meta recently removed an online preview of its chatbot, Galactica, because it repeatedly generated incorrect and biased information.

    Experts have warned that companies do not control the fate of these technologies. Systems like ChatGPT, LaMDA and Galactica are based on ideas, research papers and computer code that have circulated freely for years.

    Companies like Google and OpenAI can push the technology forward at a faster rate than others. But their latest technologies have been reproduced and widely distributed. They cannot prevent people from using these systems to spread misinformation.

    Just as Mr. Howard hoped that his daughter would learn not to trust everything she read on the internet, he hoped society would learn the same lesson.

    “You could program millions of these bots to appear like humans, having conversations designed to convince people of a particular point of view” he said. “I have warned about this for years. Now it is obvious that this is just waiting to happen.”

  • Staying ahead of the curve: Warehouse Management Trends

    Staying ahead of the curve: Warehouse Management Trends

    Staying ahead of the curve: Warehouse Management Trends

    Introduction

    Remaining competitive in today’s global marketplace has become more important than ever. Consumer habits continue to change, and businesses are finding themselves stocking more and more items. An efficient warehouse management solution is the best way to ensure customer satisfaction at a time when everyone expects things like next-day delivery, BOPIS (Buy Online Pickup in Store), and more.

    Thankfully, managing a growing SKU count is getting easier and the technology already exists to help improve your supply chain and bottom line.

    Keeping an eye on the changing technology landscape is a good way to get started – here are some of the advanced warehouse management trends we’ve seen in 2022.

    Automation

    From self-driving forklifts and automated inventory systems to sophisticated barcode scanning and sorting, more warehouses are striving to be fully automated than ever before. Many companies see full automation as a cost-saving measure as they shift their budgets from human workers to technology – becoming more important as SKU counts continue to grow to meet consumer demand.

    According to Capterra, 54% of warehouses plan to expand the number of inventory SKUs carried over the next five years.

    Manufacturing plants have seen similar trends, with equipment automation taking over traditional manufacturing processes such as machining and assembly. You’ll need to think creatively about how automation can change your processes and make your jobs easier. Some innovations include adding robotics or autonomous vehicles into your delivery process; building more efficient ways to collect data; or developing mobile apps that make data easily accessible to your employees, wherever they are.

    Sustainable Warehouse Solutions

    Supply chains and warehouses have always been a driving force of the economy, and as we move into the future, warehouse management trends will continue to affect global supply chains. One of the most significant changes driving growth in sustainable warehouse solutions is increased pressure from consumers for sustainable goods and services. Consumers want more transparency and accountability with their products, which can only be achieved by improved tracking technologies.

    Another factor influencing this change is an increase in regulations governing environmental impact. For example, several European countries banned single-use plastic packaging earlier this year due to the damage it causes, leaving companies scrambling for viable alternatives, like bio-based plastics or renewable materials like bamboo.

    Supply chain management solutions like Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 will play a vital role in not only managing inventory, assets and faults but also improving compliance efforts with regulatory bodies like the FDA, EPA, REACH and more.

    Internet of Things (IoT)

    Internet of Things (IoT) technology in warehouse management continues to grow and offers new benefits like reduced costs, better forecasting, and easier scalability.

    Sensors and cameras continue to get better, and newer RFID (radio frequency identification) tags or beacons let you know exactly where an item is at any given time.

    The data collected from these sensors leads to a better customer experience because you know exactly how long it takes for a package to be delivered or whether there are any delays with your orders. This makes your warehouse inventory management easier.

    When it comes to managing people, IoT technology will allow you to reduce overtime hours and increase efficiency. Being able to use drones and autonomous vehicles lets you confidently adjust your business strategy by setting prices based on demand or supply chain availability.

    Some experts predict that we’re nearing the point where IoT technology will be doing a lot more tedious work like stock picking and placing items into cartons—saving companies money as well as freeing up valuable labor hours for other things like customer service or development projects.

    Wearable Technology

    Technology is changing how work is done everywhere, and warehouse management is no exception. We’re already seeing hints that in the not-so-distant-future, there’ll be less people working in warehouses, due to the rise of wearable technology. Examples of this includes Exo-suits, Smart Glasses and audio devices – powered devices designed to reduce physical requirements and give workers hands-free access to their data and instructions.

    These devices could potentially replace warehouse management equipment like head-up displays or tablets. Amazon, for example, has already patented a system that would allow its employees to use wearable devices while they’re at work. These devices focus on 100% accuracy thanks to the ability to fully validate your inventory.

    Some analysts believe this trend would lead to higher costs for shipping companies and consumers because it would require new training programs and many warehouses wouldn’t need human labor anymore. Others feel these technologies might reduce costs because they increase productivity levels and reduce errors.

    The fact remains that wearable technology holds exciting potential and could change the way we manage our warehousing processes, but it’s still unclear exactly what effects it will have on both business owners and consumers alike.

    Augmented Reality (AR)

    Even now, fulfillment centers are beginning to use augmented reality (AR) technology to help with logistics and planning. This is one trend that is expected to grow and expand over the next few years.

    There are many benefits like training and easy visualization, but one of the most important is that AR can be used by warehouse managers and personnel on a day-to-day basis, without having an expensive changeover cost when they start using it.

    This technology provides instant feedback with data from multiple locations, so managers know exactly if their supply chain is performing as expected or if there are any issues that need to be addressed. The wireless nature of these devices means AR is perfectly suited for work in and around warehouses.

    Digital Transformations

    Warehouse management is going digital, everywhere. E-commerce and omni-channel retailing has become a lot more popular, and it’s led businesses to invest more in warehouse management software and automation. The ability to deliver products from their warehouse on time with less employee involvement is what many businesses have been aiming for.

    Companies want their warehouses to be not only fast but also flexible, moving with the needs of changing business conditions. Warehouses are now being designed with reconfigurable storage systems, which can be changed based on current storage needs without any downtime or significant disruption.

    For this level of automation and digitization to happen, these enterprises need a great deal of up-to-date data about their inventory as well as how quickly they can process orders. Fortunately, warehouse management solutions like that of Microsoft’s D365 provide real-time updates on everything from inventory levels to shipping rates. These are just a few reasons we’re seeing more businesses finally replace their aging legacy systems – and when all is said and done, they’re much better off for it.

    What comes next

    Staying up to date on changes in technology can be a full-time job. One of the best ways to understand what comes next is working with a partner that really understands your business.

    As your company grows and your warehousing needs change, your partner can make sure you’re using the perfect solution.

    Whether you’re looking for a whole new warehouse management solution or just adding on newer functionality, your partner should be there to set you up for greater success.

    Be prepared for what comes next, contact us today to find out how we can help.

    About XcelPros

    XcelPros is a Chicago-based company and delivers transformation through technology. We offer business and technology solutions with deep industry experience in Chemical, Pharma, Life Sciences (including Medical Devices, Bio-Medical & Biotech), Insurance, Discrete Manufacturing, Process Manufacturing, Distribution and Food & Beverage.

    XcelPros is a Microsoft Gold Partner, Direct Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) and a Systems Integrator (SI) offering software licensing, implementation and consulting services for Microsoft Dynamics 365, CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Business Intelligence & Analytics (Power BI), SharePoint, Office 365 and Azure (Cloud, IOT, Microsoft Flow amongst many others).

    Our mission is to provide integrated technology solutions that amplify impact and empower our customer’s businesses. We believe technology is the key enabler of exponential growth for us and our customers.

    Contact XcelPros today to transform your business.

    Call us toll-free – 1.855.411.0585 (or) visit www.xcelpros.com