With Thanks: Unveiling My AI Journey Through 2023 & Plans for 2024
Embracing the Past, Igniting the Future: A Toast to AI Adventures and New Beginnings
Warm greetings as the year draws to a close!
Whether this time of year marks 🕎Hanukkah, 🎄Christmas, ⛄winter solstice, or none of those for you, my hope is that these weeks filled with celebration spark our common hopes for peace, light, and community.
As 2023 wraps up with this glow of humanity and we look toward new beginnings in 2024, I wanted to reach out with sincere appreciation for my treasured readers. Your loyal support fills me not only with festive cheer but also with the profound understanding that sharing ideas and learning from each other is what lifts our spirits highest.
I wish you all the warmth, optimism, and togetherness that this season symbolizes in its essence - no matter which traditions you cherish most. Thank you for being part of this community of insight and compassion.
Here's to peace and possibility ahead! 🥂
💡2023: A Snapshot of Innovation and Insight
As 2023 draws to a close, I'm filled with excitement to share that my extensive analysis of 'AI in 2023: Year Review' is slated for publication soon. This comprehensive piece, a labor of dedication and passion, will explore the year's most groundbreaking developments and emerging trends in AI.🙏
In our community, 2023 was a remarkable year. Not only did we grow in numbers and engagement, but two of our discussions (AI's Carbon Footprint: Understanding and Reducing the Environmental Impact of Large Models and The Dark Side of LLMs: Addressing Security Concerns in the Age of AI ) were recognized by academia, contributing to PhD thesis – a milestone that underscores the depth of our exploration into AI.
Furthermore, our dedication to making AI accessible saw the "Mastering Claude AI: A Comprehensive Guide on How to Use It Like a Pro" become a cornerstone resource within the AI community. Shared extensively across platforms, this hands-on guide has garnered praise for unlocking Claude's capabilities through practical insights and a uniquely user-friendly approach. Its warm reception is a testament to our community's shared commitment to furthering everyday applications of AI.
In just seven months, this blossoming blog community has cultivated powerful synergy illuminating the path ahead. Grand ambitions and expansive plans await but a spark to set them in motion. That spark is you.
Your steady support has fueled our progress and allowed us to offer this newsletter for free. Looking forward, we aim to keep most of our content available to all, ensuring a space where everyone’s voice matters.
🎥Behind the Scenes
Welcome to the birthplace of each newsletter you read. Here, amidst a blend of tech and the timeless touch of pen on paper, ideas take shape. Crafting a long-read involves delving into stacks of research and articles, which I prefer to absorb the old-fashioned way — ink on paper. It's a labor of love, dedicated to bringing you insights wrapped in humanity.
🦋 Evolving Through Errors: Lessons Learned in 2023
My transition to Substack’s newsletter format, after decades of writing, was like learning a new dance in the crowded ballroom of AI discourse. With a melody in my words, reflecting my days as a pianist, I aimed for a symphony, though sometimes hitting a few wrong notes along the way. I've introduced more musical staccato into my writing style lately - this way I seek to distinguish my voice in the AI ensemble.
Mistake One: In pursuit of harmony (aka open rates), I pruned my subscriber list🙈, cutting out what I thought were inactive subscribers. To my chagrin, I learned some were indeed listening, just quietly, with privacy settings that masked their attendance. It was a tough lesson in the complexity of audience engagement.
Mistake Two: I switched the tempo from long-form articles to listicles, seeking a perfect rhythm with less time. My audience’s feedback was clear and immediate; they missed the original compositions. This misstep was a reminder that the value of content often lies in its depth, not just its beat.
Through these missteps, I've learned to listen more closely to my audience and to appreciate the silent readers who are an invisible yet significant part of our community. As we move forward, I’m fine-tuning our communication, ensuring that every note strikes a chord.
🔭 Charting New Frontiers in 2024
In 2024, we're embarking on an audacious exploration titled “The Psychology of Human-AI Interactions”. This monthly odyssey will decode complex research papers into captivating narratives, revealing astonishing facets of algorithmic functioning. Due to the specialized nature and cost of accessing these studies, this treasure trove of insights will be exclusive to my Patreon/Substack supporters, who will empower this endeavor.
Readers’ enthusiasm for my how-to guides is the wind in our sails. Rest assured, the journey continues with even more intriguing and hands-on projects to engage with and learn from.
Every Saturday, I’ll serve up a concise snippet of code in various programming languages designed to enhance your fluency with cutting-edge APIs—a true asset for your digital toolkit.
The book reviews you've relished will sail on, with a few secret gems soon to be unveiled—anticipate revelations and transformative reads!
In addition, here's what's new and exciting for 2024:
Interactive Q&A Sessions: Your burning questions will find answers in our regular Q&A features, transforming curiosity into knowledge.
Community Contributions: We're opening the stage for you to share your AI stories, experiences, and insights, enriching our content with diverse perspectives.
Collaborations: Look forward to special editions co-created with fellow AI aficionados and industry pioneers, weaving together a tapestry of collective wisdom.
Subscriber Spotlights: Regular spotlights on you, our valued subscribers, will celebrate your contributions to the AI community, showcasing your endeavors and successes.
AI Tool Reviews: Navigate the evolving landscape of AI tools with our reviews, ensuring you stay informed and equipped with the best resources.
Polls and Surveys: Your voice will shape our journey, with regular polls and surveys to capture your feedback and preferences, guiding our shared exploration into AI.
And for the grand crescendo: 💫 I’m fine-tuning the composition of my articles. Anticipate a refreshed format in 2024, sculpted to enrich your engagement and elevate the insights you've come to cherish.
🤗 Our Global AI Community: A World of Insight
It fills me with immense joy to see a blog that started just a few months ago now embraced by nearly 900 subscribers across 42 US states and 74 countries. My pen may have been my constant companion, but it is your engagement that has truly brought the words to life. Each article, each line, was crafted with 👉 YOU in mind. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to every one of you for making this journey so remarkable.
✈Seven Steps Above the Sky: A Year of Unprecedented Engagement
Every peak in these Google Analytics (Average Engagement Time) stats represents a moment when you, my readers, have engaged with the content, breaking through established norms and soaring to incredible heights. Your avid readership and active participation take my breath away. Indeed, these statistics are as astounding to me as they may be to you, reaffirming my belief that with such an amazing audience, nothing is beyond our reach. The most precious gift this year has undoubtedly been your support and connection. Thank you for being the heart of this journey!
Our most popular articles
Our most popular articles have sparked conversations and inspired curiosity. Here’s a look back at the pieces that captured our readers' attention the most in 2023:
Deepfakes and the Age of Tech Illusions: Decoding Digital Deception
The Dark Side of LLMs: Addressing Security Concerns in the Age of AI
CTRL + END
As I sign off on this letter, I extend my deepest gratitude once more. I hope we keep celebrating our shared successes. Please accept my apologies for any missteps along the way and know that your loyalty is the greatest gift of all.
I love your work and also that you are from a smaller country is very appealing to me. I want to see folk from different areas of the planet, see how they perceive and summarize things. I'm cheering for you!
Happy new year, Nat!!!