Ep. 293: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox?

Imagine a world in which AI could handle your email inbox on your behalf. No more checking for new messages every five minutes. No more worries that people need you. No more exhausting cognitive context shifts. In this episode, Cal explores how close cutting-edge AI models are to achieving this goal, including using ChatGPT to help him answer some real email. He then dives into his latest article for The New Yorker, which explains the key technical obstacle to fully automated email and how it might be solved. This is followed by reader questions and a look at something interesting.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox? [4:33] - Should I continue to study programming if AI will eventually replace software jobs? [44:40] - Is it bad to use ChatGPT to assist with your writing? [49:22] - How do I reclaim my workspace for Deep Work? [55:24] - How do I decide what to do on my scheduled mini-breaks at work? [1:00:11] - CALL: Heidegger’s view on technology [1:02:48] - CALL: Seasonality with a partner and kids [1:09:11]

CASE STUDY: A Silicon Valley Chief of Staff balancing work and ego [1:20:07]

Something Interesting: General Grant’s Slow Productivity [1:30:08]

Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity”at calnewport.com/slow

newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/can-an-ai-make-plans

Thanks to our Sponsors:

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Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.