Animal Actors Are Already Being Replaced By AI

Human writers and actors went on strike earlier this year, partially in response to the risk that AI could replace them. In fact, I read an article in the latest Economist about how AI is already replacing animal actors.

For now, AI is mostly replacing exotic animals, like bears and lions.  Their trainers are starting to retire and/or cut back the number of animals they work with.

Dogs and cats are slower to replace with AI, because people are more familiar with them and can still tell the difference.  AI humans are even easier for audiences to detect–so far.

© 2024 Praveen Puri

Green Ahead of His Time

"I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen, which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light."

– Jules Verne, 1875

© 2024 Praveen Puri

Two Interesting Pieces of Advice

The New York Times asked readers for their best advice from 2023. Most of them were good, but standard (like tell people that you love them). I found these two interesting:

1. We are all juggling so many balls. Differentiate between glass balls and rubber balls — and don’t be afraid to drop the rubber balls.

2. Every time you receive a box containing something you bought online, fill it with items to donate

© 2023 Praveen Puri

Self Driving Vehicles Are Already Here

We keep reading about how self-driving vehicles aren't ready for the roads yet.  In the meantime, autonomous vehicles have quietly gone live in industrial and warehouse settings, where the environment is much more controlled.

For example, according to a WSJ article,  Kimberly-Clark now has more than 300 autonomous forklifts in North America, compared to 30 in 2019.

© 2023 Praveen Puri

Counter-Intuitive Evidence of Electric Cars

An interesting article on EVs just came out in (surprisingly) the Harvard Gazette: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/when-buying-an-ev-increases-your-carbon-footprint/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

“Because the batteries that power EVs are responsible for an outsize share of emissions during the manufacturing process. … EVs are dirtier to build but cleaner to drive. … They must meet certain mileage thresholds before environmental advantages are realized. In the U.S., the typical non-luxury EV needs to log between 28,069 and 68,160 miles before netting any emissions benefits.”

So,  the conclusion:

“If you’re somebody who drives a fair amount then you are likely well-suited to drive an electric vehicle,” Woodley said. “If, on the other hand, you’re someone who seldom drives, and the vehicle is mostly going to sit in the garage, then you may counterintuitively be better off owning a gasoline-powered vehicle.”

© 2023 Praveen Puri

Digital Transformation Doesn't Have to Involve Bleeding Edge Technology

This weekend's Wall Street Journal had an article about the self-checkout system at Uniglo, which sells clothing and fashion.

Unlike other systems, which make you scan your items, Uniglo's system displays Strategic Simplicity@, and lets you checkout by simply placing your items in a basket.

Their system feels innovative next to standard checkout systems, yet it's based on old-tech–specifically RFID chips hidden in the price tags.

© 2023 Praveen Puri

Strategy Implementation and Transformation Success with my Strategic Simplicity® Framework

You can read my article on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/strategy-implementation-transformation-success-praveen-praveen-puri-vljec/

© 2023 Praveen Puri