2023 Was a Year of Characters
As we wrap up another year, we look back at what comes across as an eventful 2023. Macro issues and lingering COVID talk led to a shaky start. We then saw a fair share of winners (“Barbie” / NVIDIA / OpenAI) and losers (Disney / consumer gadget sales / EVs). While most people would position “AI” as the tech story of the year, there’s something about that decision that doesn’t sit right with me. While AI buzz was certainly alive and well, the actual impact on consumers was less clear. Instead, 2023 came across as the year headlined by characters – Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Bob Iger, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, and Sam Altman. With each, a narrative took hold that came together to give the year a fast-paced news flow.
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