How to not leave people behind in the era of AI
Let's talk about the Fear of Being Left Behind
It's a slick sales tool.
"I don't want you to be left behind, so here's my [product or service] that will help you keep up."
It taps into the fear center in our brain, motivating us to action.
Put simply, it's manipulative. (usually)
It speaks to the character of the person saying it. If someone says "I don't want you to be left behind" followed by "so buy my" or "subscribe to my"—that person is manipulating you (and I wouldn't recommend buying anything from them).
It also implies that they're moving ahead faster than you are, which, in every case I've seen, is so untrue it's hard to decide whether to cringe or laugh. Reading someone else's thoughts on the latest releases in the AI world, tips for prompting LLMs, or gossip about the leadership team at OpenAI isn't the magic bullet for "keeping up with AI."
There are exceptions, and they sound more like: "I don't want people to be left behind, so I'm going to donate $500K or 1 hour a week to helping others stay ahead."
People will only be left behind if we leave them behind
AI is not self-directing. There are some in the field (and fearmongers masquerading as AI researchers) who believe we're moving toward AI that is self-directing, but there are no technically or logically sound arguments from here to there as of this writing.
That means AI will only be implemented based on choices we as people make. Every decision to use AI will be decided by a human.
So what will you decide?
3 ways to not leave people behind in the era of AI:
1. Change the conversation
Words matter. Every time someone says something about being left behind, reframe it:
I would never leave you behind, so here's my plan.
I would never leave you behind, so let's figure this out.
We would never leave our people behind, so we need to find another way.
2. Focus on growth
As a species, we're just getting started. There is so much work left to do before we automate everything we've already done and sit back WALL-E-style.
The real opportunity with AI is in creating new value and accelerating our ability to envision, reason, test, and learn.
When planning for AI initiatives, many focus purely on increasing the efficiency of an existing process, product, or service. While this can be an important step, especially if you're just starting and need to build capability and put points on the board, the real opportunity with AI is in the white space. Just like the real opportunity with the Internet for Blockbuster wasn't to just create a digital database of their movies for better tracking of late fees.
3. We're in this together, so let's act like it
Research shows that our brains experience uncertainty the same as physical pain. And there's a lot of uncertainty in the world right now.
We're not going to stumble into a better future for ourselves or those who will come after us.
Someone has to stop and decide to create a better future.
And it's a team sport.
If not us, then who?
Thanks for reading,
Brian
Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
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