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In today’s newsletter:

1. 📖 Meet the First AI Software Engineer

2. ⚖️ Europe’s AI Act Gets Final Approval

3. 🏫 Course by MIT about AI

4. 🤖 Worldwide Impact of AI on Workplace Productivity

5. 🎤 One prompt you can use at work today

Read time: 4.5 minutes

1. Meet the First AI Software Engineer

Cognition Labs just announced the world’s first AI Software Engineer called Devin.

Here’s a demo of what Devin can do:

What does this mean for leaders?

AI coding assistants are not new, but Devin is unique because it can develop software just as a software engineer would. It can handle everything from A to Z, including writing code and fixing bugs.

Early reviews indicate that it is pretty promising, which potentially puts software engineering jobs at risk.

For leaders, this means they can reduce costs by utilizing tools like Devin when considering hiring for software engineering positions, at least for entry-level roles.

2. Europe’s AI Act Gets Final Approval

The European Parliament has given final approval to the Artificial Intelligence Act, which establishes the first comprehensive AI regulations worldwide and will be implemented later this year.

What does this mean for leaders?

The AI Act adopts a risk-based approach, classifying AI systems by their potential risks and imposing stricter requirements on high-risk applications, such as medical devices or critical infrastructure.

In some cases, the Act bans specific AI applications if they’re considered to have unacceptable risks.

This means that business leaders should prepare for the new regulations by evaluating and classifying their AI technologies according to the risk-based approach

3. Course by MIT about AI

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by MIT’s AI online short course. It’s a 6-week program that you can complete on a part-time basis. More details below.

Artificial Intelligence online short course from MIT

Study artificial intelligence and gain the knowledge to support its integration into your organization. If you're looking to gain a competitive edge in today's business world, then this artificial intelligence online course may be the perfect option for you.

On completion of the MIT Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy online short course, you’ll gain:

• Key AI management and leadership insights to support informed, strategic decision making.

• A practical grounding in AI and its business applications, helping you to transform your organization into a future-forward business.

• A road map for the strategic implementation of AI technologies in a business context.

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4. Worldwide Impact of AI on Workplace Productivity

A recent survey highlighted by Axios shows the following results from 17 countries on how AI has impacted workplace productivity:

There are significant regional differences based on this data: India (67%), Indonesia (65%), and the UAE (62%) report the highest increases in productivity due to AI.

In contrast, the U.S. (17%), Sweden (14%), and the U.K. (18%) report the least positive impact on productivity from AI.

What does this mean for leaders?

The main concern (for leaders in the West) is the fact that Western countries (including the US and Canada) are not only showing lower worker productivity but also a higher degree of hindered productivity.

As Axios put it:

5. One Prompt You Can Use at Work Today

Here’s a practical ChatGPT Prompt you can use at work:

For example,

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about simple strategies and frameworks for using AI with your team at work, I recently published a book on Amazon called “Generative AI for Busy Business Leaders” that you can check out by clicking here.