A New Era in Innovation: From App Stores to AI Paradigms

As I reflect on the monumental shifts in technology and society, a particular evolution stands out – the transition from the launch of the App stores by Apple and Google in 2008 to the recent unveiling of OpenAI’s GPT store in January 2023. More than just a new chapter in technological innovation this changeover represents a deeper, more profound shift into a post-industrial, AI-centric era.

In 2008, the world witnessed the dawning of an era with the opening of the App stores. This momentous event transformed the way we interact with technology, making software an integral part of our daily lives — for good and ill. It was a groundbreaking, neck-bending and eye-squinting shift, akin to opening a universal portal to myriad functions that were previously inconceivable. This phone-centric portal became more than just a marketplace for “there’s an app for that” — it enabled the birth of a new handheld digital culture.

Fast forward to 2023, and we find ourselves at the cusp of another revolutionary change with the launch of OpenAI’s GPT store. Far from merely a shiny new “GPT wrapper” product or service, we are witnessing nothing less than the first building block of an upcoming global AI society that drive the cost of intelligence to near zero. The GPT store represents a leap into an era where AI’s potential in problem-solving, creativity, and innovation is boundless.

Drawing from my experience in Lean Six Sigma and my understanding of the dynamics of business transformation, I see a vital connection between these technological milestones and the principles of Lean Six Sigma (LSS). As AI evolves, it becomes increasingly clear that we need to leverage these LSS principles to adapt and thrive in this new age. We must further redesign and digitize processes and embed AI solutions like GenAI platforms (Stable Diffusion, Claude, ChatGPT, and LLaMA) into our workflows.  And then prepare for the fastest, deepest technological change in history.

However, this rapid progression brings with it the shadow of Alvin Toffler’s warning from his trilogy Future Shock, Third Wave and Powershift: the risk of many people being left behind, and maybe the breaking of democracy if we do not course-correct soon. As we embrace this new era, we must be cognizant of the societal impacts and the widening digital divide. The transition from nomadic to agrarian, and then to industrial societies, brought about significant changes in how we govern societies. Similarly, this AI-driven era might necessitate new forms of governance to address our emerging challenges.

Simply put, the launch of OpenAI’s GPT store is much more than a new development in technology; it’s a harbinger of a new epoch. As we stand at this junction, it’s imperative to leverage the wisdom of Lean Six Sigma and our Founding Fathers to be prepared for a world where AI not only augments but becomes integral to our decision-making processes and our social policies. This is the future – a future where AI’s role in our lives is as significant as the applications we once marveled at in the App stores. The journey ahead is exhilarating, filled with untapped potential and unprecedented challenges, urges us to adapt, innovate, and evolve. Indeed,it forces us to re-examine what it mans to be human.

The Seduction of Gen AI

The year 2023 will be etched in history as a pivotal moment in the advancement of Artificial Intelligence — a milestone that will be remembered a century from now.

Since 2007, in my second book, The New Science of Success, I have been chronicling this momentous occasion at the dawn of Web 2.0 and mobile. The present era has brought us Generative AI, a technology that allows us to “prompt” AI chatbots to write, create images, and produce videos. Prominent examples include ChatGPT-4, Midjourney, and Pika Labs.

While the light of a promising breakthrough illuminates our path, it inevitably casts a shadow of peril. The emergence of this cutting-edge technology has given rise to new challenges, such as the inability to discern what is real and truthful. Furthermore, there are risks associated with bad actors using Generative AI to create hazardous tools like bombs, biological weapons, or to orchestrate breaches into computer systems. We now stand at the crossroads of promise and peril in AI, marking a key chapter in technological evolution.

TV Actor Tim Reid Delivers Keynote Address

Emmy-Award nominee and TV actor/producer/writer, Tim Reid provided the keynote address to USA-Africa audience on The Future of Media and Our Mental Health, Nov 21, 2022 via Zoom and YouTube Live.

The event , organized by Lucia Stanislas, was hosted by Osai and Frank Shines family’s Stroud Leadership Academy in partnership with IBOC’s RACE the Opera.

Angola’s Osai “One heart for Mental Health” campaign is an international concept that brings together celebrities, professionals, artists, socialites and philanthropists for the cause of mental health.

Tim Reid recently launched an online network LG|CY TV, Legacy of a People.

Reverse Robinhood

I am reading Scott Galloway’s new best-seller book, Adrift: America in 100 Charts which shows this graphic that I call “Reverse Robinhood.” Up until about the mid-1970’s worker compensation and US productivity (GDP)  moved in lock-step. However since that time we have seen a growing gap between the two. This gap now now reflects a 120% difference.

Looked at another way, according to Galloway, the top 1% of Americans have seen their wages increase 140% between 1979 and 2013.   The growth rate of  the bottom 99% during that time was nearly 8 times slower than the top 1%, retarding upward mobility for most Americans. No wonder our nation is so polarized and resentful of  elites and “the system?”

Can US Democracy Survive Ray Dalio’s Changing World Order?

Ray Dalio’s new book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail,  is the most important business, military and government leadership book I have read this year.  Indeed, it may be a survival guide for democracy itself. The video here provides a 43-minute summary of the book, which is based on over 500 years of research on the societal, business, military, education and economic trends that have consistently led to the growth and decline of great empires all around the world.

If the US does not find a way to rekindle open, safe and civil dialogue — not violence — the future of our nation itself is at risk. In Heidi and Alvin Toffler’s book Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century (published in Nov 1990), the authors warned us. Big technology changes have always resulted in the need to change how people are governed: most small tribes, serfdom and monarchy systems did not survive the industrial revolution. More recently, Hebrew historian, futurist and best-selling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari, reminds us that the superpower of human beings is out ability to “cooperate flexibly in large numbers.” We are losing that superpower.

In Let in But Left Out, Frank Examines How America…

• Let in Tech Disruption but Left Out People Transition
• Let in Virtual but Left Out Reality
• Let in Inequality but Left Out Upward Mobility
• Let in Fake News but Left Out Critical Thinking
• Let in Diversity but Left Out Inclusion
• Let in Personal Gain but Left Out Collective Purpose
• Let in COVID Bioscience but Left Out People Social Science

Sandra Harry Pays it Forward with MindPro

Sandra Harry, Executive Master Black Belt, Chairman of SSMI, widow of Dr. Mikel J. Harry (the co-creator of Six Sigma), has partnered with the Stroud Leadership Academy (SLA), founded by Frank Shines, to provide access to Six Sigma Action Belt training certification to underrepresented communities in the USA, Brazil and Africa. Thirteen participants have been identified.  The first cohort, which includes three leaders from the Guetto Institute in Brazil, have  completed the program. Additionally, Lucia Stanislas (SLA co-founder) and Marcelo  Fernandes (recent IE college graduate and SLA consultant) have completed the program, earning their certifications.

Frank Shines & IBOC Writing Opera

On Independence Day weekend, July 2, 2022, Frank (as dramaturg) along with the International Brazilian Opera Company (IBOC) and librettists Idris Goodwin (award-winning playwright) and Ashley Cornelius (Pikes Peak Poet Laureate) showcased a Workshop Performance for RACE the Opera at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (CSPM). The crew is shown in the photo on the steps of CSPM in Colorado Springs.

Colorado College Honors Strouds

Colorado College honors the legacy of the Stroud family with a video tribute and VIP floor of the new Ed Robson Arena.

Proud Father & Former Gymnast:
Daughter Wins 2021 State and Regional Championships