The f(x) = e^x | Responsible startups and the great image showdown

The f(x) = e^x | January 19, 2023 — Vol. 200 🥳

Good Day! This is my weekly newsletter, with a dose of insights into the future. The topic of this newsletter is the exponential times we live in, hence the title of f(x) = e^x, which is the (natural) exponential function.

You can visit The Digital Speaker to book me as a keynote speaker for your next event or to hire me as a future tech coach for your CEO. Don’t forget to tune in to my Step into the Metaverse podcast or read my top ten technology trends for 2023.

How To Build a Responsible Tech Startup?

My latest article:

The tech industry has a responsibility to use technology for good and create products that are used responsibly. Technology can play a role in solving social problems. Tech startups have an advantage over traditional businesses due to their ability to adapt quickly to market trends, low overheads, and understanding of the latest technology.

The tech industry must be aware of its full range of impact and ensure that human values lead to technology, not the other way around. Building a responsible tech startup can be challenging, but startups can make a difference by connecting with existing organisations that are already doing good and using their skills, communication, and organisational abilities.

Building a responsible tech startup requires a unique approach due to the fast-paced and competitive nature of the tech industry. Ethical behaviour, digital ethics, privacy and data security, and social impact are vital considerations. Companies should embed ethical thinking and strong values from the beginning of product development and company culture rather than trying to reverse engineer ethical thinking later. Read all about it here.

Useful Nuggets of Information

My weekly tips from around the web to get you thinking.

1. It looks like Mother Nature is taking her revenge on us 🌎

Climate change is causing pests and diseases to ravage crops, leaving us with a potential food crisis. But fear not; scientists have a solution: AI tools to identify crop diseases early on. So, we may not be able to save the world, but at least we can save our dinner. (Knowable Magazine)

2. Influencers are selling out for a propane-powered breakfast.

Isn’t it heartwarming to see the fossil fuel industry using its millions of dollars to manipulate influencers and make propane seem like a “clean energy solution” instead of actually contributing to fighting climate change? (NY Mag)

3. Renting is the latest craze for those with too much virtual money.

The world of virtual landlords is here and is already mimicking the real world’s challenges. For a mere $7000 per day, you can lease virtual real estate in Decentraland, and brands are more than willing to pay these sums to experience the metaverse. The rental system is changing the social fabric of the virtual world, dividing people into those who have and those who have not. (Wired)

4. Getty Images vs. Stability AI: The great image showdown of 2023.

Stock photo giant Getty Images is suing AI art tool creator Stability AI for allegedly “unlawfully” scraping millions of images from its site to train its software. Stability AI has yet to comment on the lawsuit, but it’s sure to be a legal battle for the ages, or at least for the lawyers’ ages. (The Verge)

The last episode of the Step into the Metaverse podcast

In the last episode of the Step into the Metaverse Podcast, I interviewed John Gaeta, a creator, inventor and an Academy Award-winning designer best known for his work on the Matrix Trilogy, where he pioneered form-bending innovations such as “Bullet Time”. We discussed the role of user-generated content in the metaverse and the infrastructure challenges of creating a hyper-realistic metaverse. Please tune in for more of our value-packed conversation in this last episode of the Step into the Metaverse podcast.