022 | Recap of The Troubled 2023
Navigating the Tech Bubble Through Layoffs, ChatGPT 4.0, Newsletter in 2024
① Navigating the Tech Bubble in 2023 at Silicon Valley
2023 was like a rollercoaster for many of us in the tech industry, especially in Silicon Valley. We experienced the tech bubble making its best impression of a popped balloon.
This year put my ego on a diet. Despite the ups and downs, this year taught me invaluable lessons. One key takeaway I want to share is the power of optimism during tough times.
Imagine waking up from a coma and choosing the exact time to do so. Late 2022 and early 2023 would not be my picks!
The tech world was in a frenzy: tech giants were pouring out sympathies with one hand and layoffs with the other. It was like a bittersweet symphony, leading to a nightly ritual of self-worth evaluation and impostor syndrome pep talks.
On the flip side, on my end, I earned the role of the tech lead of my team. Think of it as leveling up in a video game, where the graphics stay the same but your skill set is challenged for an upgrade.
My role shifted from being the frontline coding machine to a somewhat passive force behind the scenes, orchestrating projects and turning technical hiccups into growth opportunities for my people.
As I look back on the rollercoaster that was 2023, it's clear that the hidden gem was optimism. It was the North Star. It almost always reflects that every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, every setback a setup for a comeback.
② Adopting ChatGPT 4.0
I’ve used the paid version, ChatGPT 4.0, for a few months. I created a Korean language tutor GPT, a script editor GPT, and a YouTube channel Analyst.
I haven’t built the habit of chatting with one of the bots consistently in my daily routine, nor have I tried to write code with it, but the core value coming out of this for me is a ‘living’ agent that bounces ideas back.
As an introverted engineer by nature, unless it’s work, I don’t reach out often for ideas. Now I don’t have to. ChatGPT serves as an assistant who spits out resources and trims the search noises for me.
For example, I wanted to improve my writing in English; ChatGPT sent out 8 books for me to browse, with a brief description of each option.
8 Books is a pretty targeted list - a great start!
In my experience with ChatGPT, it further reduced the gap in learning and made resources even more available. This can be a great trend for average users of AI assistants.
Through 2023, some highlights about ChatGPT -
New Versions and Capabilities: 2023 saw the introduction of GPT-4 Turbo and GPT-4V (GPT-4 with vision). GPT-4 Turbo brought enhanced information retrieval capabilities, while GPT-4V added the ability to analyze images, marking a significant step towards multimodal AI capabilities.
I made a few YouTube video thumbnail art, pixel art for profile pictures, as well as illustrative art for the newsletter!
Economic Impact and Industry Integration: it became a pivotal tool in the field of AI and was recognized as the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Generative AI becoming a mainstream term, influencing enterprise decision-making and software purchasing. The global economic impact of generative AI solutions like ChatGPT is predicted to be substantial, potentially adding up to $4.4 trillion annually.
Ethical and Societal Implications: The widespread use of ChatGPT has raised concerns about safety, bias, job displacement, and disinformation. These concerns have prompted discussions among enterprise technology companies, governments, and regulatory bodies.
My take: I use ChatGPT as a guide for resources and a tool to shorten some of my manual work, but I do not yet consider it as the source of truth by any means. Why? ChatGPT and other AI tools are trained on resources provided by humans, and humans have biases. In my opinion, everything I read on the internet has biases anyway - it’s even more essential to have critical thinking in this era of AI.
Legal Challenges and Copyright Issues: ChatGPT has faced legal challenges related to copyright infringement. Some authors have sued OpenAI, claiming that ChatGPT was trained on their works available on the internet, thereby infringing on their copyrights. New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over AI use of Copyrighted work.
Sam Altman. It was a rollercoaster ride for those few days watching Sam Altman being fired and then coming back. Here is OpenAPI’s blog post about Sam Altman’s return as CEO.
③ Writing in English
I started my YouTube channel and this newsletter primarily in Mandarin and am thankful for the audience it has reached! However, maintaining this has been somewhat challenging.
At work, 99% of my time is spent reading, writing, and speaking in English. As a result, most of my learning and growth happens within an English context.
Outside of work, I immerse myself in English too – reading the news, listening to audiobooks, and watching videos. So, naturally, English dominates my everyday life.
When I conceptualize content, my thoughts naturally form in English. But when I start typing in Mandarin, my flow is interrupted as I struggle to find the right Mandarin words to express my ideas. Often, what resonates in English loses its essence in Chinese, likely due to my translation limitations. Other times, the translated text seems lackluster.
To streamline this process, I’ve decided to align my content more closely with my daily routine. Rest assured, I’ll continue providing subtitles for my videos, which YouTube can translate. For my Mandarin-speaking audience, I hope the auto-translate tools will bridge the gap in your mailbox 😜!
感谢一直以来的支持! 希望今天的内容对你来说有趣, 也希望你可以继续留在这里!!!