Last year, my world was shaken, and my brain was flummoxed over AI. A technological world I was interested in but, frankly, didn’t know much about suddenly became REALLY important. You can read some of my posts, articles, and newsletters from the last couple of years to get a sense of just how confused and scared I was.
When it became apparent to me that either my skills were going to be obsolete or I’d have to adapt, I (reluctantly at first) decided to adapt. When I started looking into the skills I’d need to learn to stay in demand as a technical author and trainer, I quickly became overwhelmed. But I dug in and started reading, experimenting, and learning about AI and machine learning. This is the main reason why I haven’t written here in a while.
Those of you who have known me for a while know that learning new things is my main thing. It took me longer than expected, but I’m much smarter about AI now than I was a year ago. I’m also less afraid of it, and, in fact, I’m excited about it. I’ve even started writing a book about AI: Coding with AI For Dummies (coming May 2024).
There are some big issues that need to be dealt with for AI to not cause major problems in the short term, and I’m not sure we are equipped to deal with those. But the possibilities for good that will result if we can figure things out are really incredible. More on that soon.
In addition to my career/technology shift, I have another big announcement:
My latest novel, titled Music For Losers, was released this week! I started this novel at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’ve been working on editing it for the last 18 months or so while also trying to find an agent or publisher. A few months ago, I decided that the hassle of querying agents and publishers was too much of a distraction from what I liked to do (namely, writing), and I decided to self-publish it. Self-publishing means I can get the book out to you more quickly, and I make more from each sale. However, it also means that I’m on my own for promoting the book.
If you’re interested in reading a sample of the book and maybe even buying it, go here: https://chrisminnick.com/music-for-losers or just search for it on Amazon.
Thanks for reading!
-Chris
Congrats on getting another book out!