Category: AI

AI, diversity, entrepreneurship, new economy, risk management

Diversity Matters… Especially In Business

James Cox

Even before the economic crisis wrought by the Coronavirus, the economy is changing at a rapid pace. Companies in many sectors that have been pillars of the economy have fallen on hard times. Companies that were leaders in industrial America have seen their market cap fall by 2/3rds in the past year. Leaders in retail have closed hundreds of stores and laid off thousands of people. Even technology companies that started off strong in the past 10 years have suffered setbacks in the past year due to corporate governance issues.

As technology advances, the challenge for businesses to stay competitive becomes amplified. In the last 5 years, advances in robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence) have significantly added to the bottom line of companies. That pace of change seems to be accelerating. But even as technology expands its importance, what will human workforce need to look like.

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AI, entrepreneurship, new economy, retirement

“Morning in America…”

James Cox

I was driving into work today and a Chevy Volt sped by me. Yesterday a Tesla Model S was parked in front of my office. In Q2 of 2019 Tesla produced over 72,000 cars, including the mass production version Model3. By Q3 of 2021 Tesla had produced 240,000 cars. (1)

Technology is bringing a renaissance to American manufacturing. (2) New industries and new job descriptions are being created, even as “old economy” jobs become antiquated and outsourced to robots. (3)

Technology is allowing people to use their existing assets in order to bring in more income, such as Uber and Lyft (using the car) and AirBnB (using the house). Websites such as Amazon, Ebay, Shopify and Etsy allow people to open their own virtual shops, without the need for brick and mortar retail space. The internet allows more and more people to connect to influencers and decision-makers, allowing people to earn money as consultants and contractors.

I remember when I was in middle school in the 1970’s, times were hard for my parents… I remember thinking as a teenager ‘I want a simple government job where I don’t have to worry about things like pink slips, bankruptcy, or how are we going to afford presents for Christmas.’

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AI, economy, income, risk management

Productivity and Robots

James Cox

With the advent of COVID and the global shutdown of the economy, robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) took on an increased importance with how business got done. Businesses invested in technology to assist in the change to work from home and the need to be social distanced. COVID accelerated a process that was already in process.

For decades the US economy has suffered from stagnant wages and stifled productivity. While the economy has grown in GDP since 1970 growing from $1 trillion to $18.5 trillion in 2016 and $20.513 trillion in 2018, the American worker has not enjoyed commensurate benefits. (1) Wages have remained flat for decades. 

In the past, studies have shown that part of the reason for this was the development of the computer and its influence on businesses improving efficiency. 

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