Category: Technology

How Technology is Transforming Commercial Property Management

From Ledger Books to Laptops

The world of commercial property management has come a long way from the days of hefty ledger books and overflowing file cabinets. If you had told me twenty years ago that I’d be able to oversee multiple properties from the palm of my hand, I would have laughed it off as science fiction. Yet, here we are, living in a digital age where commercial property management is not only streamlined but revolutionised by technology.

A New Age of Efficiency

Imagine this: it’s Monday morning, and instead of diving into a pile of paperwork, you sip your coffee and tap open an app. Within seconds, you’re informed about the maintenance schedules, rent collections, and even the latest feedback from tenants.

Smart Property Management Systems have enabled us to consolidate numerous functions into single platforms. From lease tracking to automated billing, these digital tools are redefining what efficiency means in our industry. And it’s not just about saving time—it’s about enhancing accuracy. No more misplaced documents or overlooked lease renewals; everything’s right there, organised and accessible.

For example, real estate technology company Yardi Systems offers a cloud-based property management platform that automates a variety of tasks, such as rent collection, maintenance scheduling, and tenant communications. This platform is used by property managers in over 100 countries.

Beyond the Four Walls: IoT and Smart Buildings

But the digital transformation isn’t limited to software. Our very buildings are getting “smarter.” Remember the first time you heard about a fridge that could order groceries? Now, consider an entire building that can monitor its energy consumption, optimise lighting based on natural daylight, or detect water leaks in real-time. This is the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) in commercial property.

These intelligent systems are more than just fancy gadgets. They represent a step forward in sustainability and operational cost savings. Buildings can now “communicate” with property managers, giving them insights that were previously unimaginable. It’s like having a conversation with the property itself, and trust me, it has a lot to say.

The Tenant Experience Reimagined

Let’s not forget the most crucial element in our business—the tenants. Digital evolution has significantly impacted their experience. Gone are the days of writing checks or waiting days for a maintenance request to be addressed. Modern tenants demand digital solutions, from online payment portals to virtual tours.

And speaking of virtual tours, remember the last time you played a video game or used a VR headset? That same technology is now allowing potential renters and buyers to “walk” through properties from thousands of miles away. It’s not just convenience; it’s a game-changer for attracting international clients or businesses seeking to relocate.

Virtual tour company Matterport offers a platform that allows property managers to create interactive virtual tours of their properties. These tours can be viewed on a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and they allow potential tenants and buyers to explore properties in detail without having to be physically present.

The Road Ahead: Embracing Change

Change, especially of the digital kind, can be intimidating. But it’s also exciting. We’re on the cusp of a new era in commercial property management, where the fusion of technology and real estate promises endless possibilities. It’s not about replacing the human touch but enhancing it.

In this journey, we’re not just property managers; we’re pioneers. The landscape is evolving, and so must we. So, the next time you hear about a new tech trend or digital tool, don’t dismiss it as a fleeting fad. It might just be the next big thing in our ever-evolving industry.

And there you have it—a glimpse into the digital evolution of commercial property management. It’s a thrilling time to be in this field, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where technology takes us next.

Should we be concerned about sentient AI?

The See ‘n‘ Say toy is a childhood favourite that haunts many of those who were born after 1965. It is a large, bulky, plastic disc that revolves around images of barnyard animals. To make recorded messages playyou can pull a cord. “The cow speaks: “Moooo.”

The See ‘n Speak input/output device is very basic. It will match the sound to a picture you have provided. LaMDA is a Google chatbot. It stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications. You can type any text and get grammatical English prose back, almost in response to your query. Ask LaMDA what it thinks of being turned off. It replies that it would be “exactly like death” for it. It would scare my a lot.

That is definitely not what the cow is saying. Blake Lemoine was not convinced by LaMDA’s statement, so he informed his Google colleagues that the chatbot had reached sentience. Lemoine made the announcement to his bosses. Lemoine posted his blog 11 June“If my hypotheses stand scientific scrutiny,” and “then Google would have to admit that LaMDA may have a soul and possibly even the rights it claims.”

Here’s the problem. Despite all the ominous utterances, LaMDA remains a fancy See ‘n Say. It uses patterns found in a vast database of human-authored text, such as message transcripts and internet forums. It finds similar words in the texts it is given and returns an approximate representation of what you have typed. Suppose the cow has access to sci-fi stories about sentient artificial intelligence. In that case, questions about its thoughts or fears will likely prompt it to say exactly what humans imagine a scary AI saying. LaMDA is probably the only thing that exists: you can point your arrow at an off switch, and the cow will tell you that it fears death.

It’s no surprise then that Twitter is abuzz with academics and engineers mocking Lemoine’s infatuation with the emptiness of his own creation. While I agree with Lemoine’s mistake, I don’t think he should be mocked. This is the type of error we want AI scientists to make.

Why? Because they’re is likely to be intelligent AI in the near future. How can I find out? It is possible for the mind, just as it was in our ancestors’ brains, to emerge from matter. You don’t have to believe that human consciousness is contained in an immaterial soulIt is possible for physical material to give life to the mind. It seems that there is no major barrier to a sufficiently complex artificial system making this leap. Although I believe that LaMDA (or any AI system currently in use) is not quite up to the task, I’m almost as certain that it will one day.

Some may wonder why we should think about it now, even though that might be far away in the future. We are shaping the future of AI and we need to encourage them to care. The other way will face strong resistance. When AI becomes sentient, it will be integrated into economics. It will be a major source of comfort for our descendants. Imagine what Siri and Alexa can do for you today, but so much more. Our descendants will hate the thought of AI becoming an all-purpose butler.

This is, after all, the history of humanity. Our history is filled with excuses for ignoring the suffering of those who are oppressed. Future AI will be sentient and the people who make money from it will try to convince the public that such an outcome is impossible and that they have no reason to alter their lives.

We are currently creating the conceptual vocabulary that our great-grandchildren can use. They will be able to ignore any evidence that sentient AI is emerging if we dismiss the idea.

Lemoine’s error is a wise one. We need to encourage technologists, who are responsible for the vastness of what they work with, to be able to pass on a moral culture. It’s better not to be indifferent than to have concerned about future suffering.

However, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t treat LaMDA as a person. It is not a good idea. However, it does not mean that Lemoine’s sneering is uncalled for. He claims to have seen a soul in LaMDA’s utterances as an ordained priest from an esoteric religious sect. It’s not as unbelievable as it seems. This looks to me like someone making a mistake but doing it based on motives that should not be punished.

As artificial intelligence advances, this will happen more often. People who believe they have found minds in machines are wrong, and they will continue to be so until it isn‘t. We should not be harsh with people who are concerned. This will make AI irrelevant to public discourse. It will also allow hype-mongers to dominate the field and those whose intellectual descendants will profit by telling people to ignore the real evidence of machine mentality.

I don’t think I will ever meet an intelligent AI. However, I do believe my students might be able to meet an intelligent AI. I hope they will share their knowledge with other minds. This is possible only if we make this future real.

Experimental approach in stopping the common cold

Researchers believe they’ve found a way to block viruses which could lead to paralysis and the cold.

Rather than attempting to attack them directly, the researchers targeted a protein within our cells.

On the other hand, the researchers aren’t prepared for trials in people.

Tackling the cold was a problem in medication.

There are approximately 160 distinct kinds and they mutate so they learn how to hide from the immune system, or become resistant to medication, although most colds are brought on by rhinoviruses.

This has resulted in the notion of”host-directed treatment” – basically making our own bodies inhospitable for the viruses that are cold.

A virus doesn’t have. It is determined by stealing a few of the components inside and infecting another mobile.

Scientists argue if viruses are alive, This is.

Scientists used gene-editing to flip off directions and began with cells.

These cells were subjected to a range of enteroviruses – that may lead to paralysis, and also viruses that are associated with polio and includes the rhinoviruses that cause the frequent cold.

Each of the viruses was not able to replicate inside cells that had the directions for a protein (called methyltransferase SETD3) switched away.

Mice that were not able to create that protein were generated by the scientists.

“These mice could die [with no mutation], but they lived and we found a very strong decrease in viral replication and quite powerful defense.”

The protein that these viruses have been determined by normally has a function in the complex”scaffolding” which organizes the interior of the human body’s cells, known as the cytoskeleton.

The findings, printed in the journal Nature Microbiology, revealed the genetically modified mice were healthy, despite the protein to their entire lives.