Technologist and author Steven Sinofsky joins host Andrew Bosworth to discuss standing up new platforms, building novel technologies, and the potential of VR, AR, and AI. They also explore missed opportunities in the tech industry and the limitations of current platforms, as well as the importance of openness in shaping the future.
Building successful platforms requires gaining buy-in from other companies and disrupting oneself through abstraction.
AI-powered writing assistants have revolutionized the writing process and enhanced the quality of final drafts.
AI writing tools empower individuals, enhance their skills, and encourage collaborative work, while not replacing human writers.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Technology and Building Platforms
The podcast episode discusses the evolution of technology and the challenges of building platforms. The speaker highlights the differences between building platforms and apps, emphasizing the need to gain buy-in from other companies to create a successful platform. They also touch upon the early days of personal computing when nothing seemed to work and how platforms like Microsoft Office and Windows were developed. The episode explores the importance of abstraction in platform building and the constant need to disrupt oneself. The speaker also briefly mentions the relevance of VR and AR platforms.
The Role of AI and the Rise of Writing Assistants
The second part of the podcast focuses on the role of AI and its impact on writing. The speaker discusses the significance of writing as a tool for organizing thoughts and how AI-powered writing assistants have transformed the writing process. They mention the example of Clippy, an early attempt at an assistant, and how current large language models have revolutionized writing assistance. The speaker expresses excitement about this disruptive technology and its potential to enhance the writing experience.
The Disruptive Nature of AI and Writing as a Mental Process
In the final section, the podcast delves into the disruptive nature of AI and its influence on writing. The speaker highlights the importance of writing in the thought process, as it forces the serialization of interconnected thoughts. They draw parallels between AI-powered writing assistants and tools like chem draw in the field of chemistry. The episode concludes with the speaker emphasizing the positive impact AI has had on writing and how it has become a fundamental part of various industries.
The Challenge of Disrupting Yourself
Disrupting oneself in the hardware industry is difficult due to the risk of making the new device too similar to the old one. This happened with the Microsoft tablet PC and early smartphones. Steve Jobs successfully disrupted the market by introducing the iPhone, which was a low-risk move since if it failed, the iPod would continue to thrive. Disrupting oneself requires moving to a new level of abstraction and commoditizing the old approach. The iPhone's closed environment and different interaction model were a form of disruptive innovation.
The Empowering Potential of AI Writing
AI writing and tools like word processors have transformed the writing process, making it more accessible and improving the quality of final drafts. Having a second pair of eyes on a piece of writing becomes easier with AI, leading to better outcomes. The technology empowers individuals by enabling them to translate their thoughts more effectively. AI writing tools are not meant to replace human writers, but to enhance their skills and make writing more efficient. It opens up possibilities for collaborative work and encourages broader access to tools of empowerment.
In today’s episode, our host, Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, is joined by technologist and author of Hardcore Software Steven Sinofsky to talk about the recurring lessons of standing up new platforms, as well as writing and how AI may benefit the craft.
Together, Sinofsky and Bosworth cover a range of topics, from the massive effort needed to build a new computing platform to the difficulty of building novel technologies in an era where everything “just works.” They look at how we’re once again at an exciting time in computing, where new form factors, like smart glasses with integrated AI features, begin to reveal technologies that could become increasingly ubiquitous in the near future.
You can follow Bosworth on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Threads @boztank. Follow Steven Sinofsky on Twitter/X, and get the e-book of Hardcore Softwarehere.
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