250 Days of Artificial Intelligence
One New Article About AI Every Day for 250 Days
This is #500daysofAI and you are reading article 250. I am writing one new article about or related to artificial intelligence every day for 500 days. My current focus for 100 days 200–300 is national and international strategies for artificial intelligence. If you have read any of my articles so far or if you are reading for the first time I want to say thank you! These 250 days has been inspirational and contemplative due to having a readership. The long discussions that I have with some readers have contributed in turn to my writing, and for that I am very grateful.
This was intended as an educational journey and became so much more.
However it has not only been rainbows, sunshine and butterflies.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I forgot to remind my wife that we are having family over, so day 250 became an intense session of cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming rooms. I had intended to spend far longer writing this article, but such is life in its predictably unpredictable ways of interrupting intended plans.
I have been checking in frequently to set myself goals that seemed foolish at the time.
Funnily enough I specifically remembered day 20 in the early days of my writing.
You do not have to read it of course, however my long-term goals that I repeat underneath is taken from this text:
In June 2019 I set myself a few long-term goals.
They seemed very ambitious at the time.
Long-term goals:
- Contributing to the development of Norway’s national strategy for artificial intelligence within the next 100 days. Sending a collection of my texts or focusing for several days on specific suggestions. Contributing in discussions at events in Oslo etc.
- Write my first book about artificial intelligence within the next 250 days. It does not have to be extensive or complex, rather as a discussion point introducing thoughts related to social science and AI.
- Write an article for a large established media publication online within the next 500 days (1M readers+) as a contributor. Examples could be Fast Company, Forbes, HuffPost, MIT Technology Review, TechCrunch, Wired etc.
Indeed they seemed pretty crazy, but so far I have stayed very true to the course of my prior ambitions!
I took part in a few input meetings for the strategy and met the Minister for Digitalisation. Later participating in the launch of the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
In regards to the Norwegian strategy I wrote a summary of the Norwegian strategy on the Future of Life Institute as a Policy Analyst volunteer writer.
Prior to the launch I have been discussing the strategy and participating in public discussions on the topic.
I also wrote two books instead of one before day 250.
As a bonus I participated in a TEDxYouth talk about artificial intelligence and the climate crisis:
Early-on during my writing I got hired as a Consultant for KPMG IDAS (International Development Advisory Services) allowing me to work with very experienced staff with prior engagements from UNDP, World Bank, NORAD and Diplomacy (ambassadors). My engagement being specifically on technology project in development in the private sector.
I got to become a board member of the Norwegian Computer Society’s Digital Ethics Board called NORDE heading up the working group on climate and sustainability:
In addition to being invited to speak at a variety of conferences and events:
For my last goal, getting in a larger publication, perhaps it is possible before day 500?
Only time will tell.
However for now I am highly satisfied with the progress so far and look forward to learning a lot more.
I have become better at programming too of course! This year, in 2020, I will aim to start becoming more engaged in medium and large-scale AI implementations in Norway particularly in renewable energy and solutions that can assist in energy grids. Thus a new goal is to work even further on the applied side with digital ethics and attempt to a small degree be involved in development on smaller projects on my spare time.
Another fun thing in my life is that I am starting up a small programming club for social scientists, because I think teaching others is the best way to learn. Learning programming together is easier too.
Thank you for sticking with me. It means a lot that you take the time to read and think about this topic together with me.
A great many thanks to my wife as well for being so patient with my interest and being understanding beyond my understanding.
It is almost my birthday and the journey continues!
This is #500daysofAI and you are reading article 250.
