Column Pieter Vos: Human

Busy, busy, busy. Still so much to do, and so little time to put that presentation together or come up with an innovation. How do you get it done quickly? The answer: ask AI! A clever chatbot takes you by the hand, and your worries melt away. All you have to do is write a well-crafted prompt and feed your model existing information. That takes a little time, but before long, the fantastic result unfolds across your computer screen. You give it a quick read and think, “Great, that’s that taken care of.” Sound familiar?

I’m only human, so one day I gave in too. I took my time reading through the presentation my friend ChatGPT had created and admired the slick charts the bot had produced. It didn’t take long for the penny to drop. If I thought this would win over my potential client, I’d be back out the door within five minutes. The claims in it couldn’t be substantiated. On closer inspection, what had initially seemed like beautifully worded passages turned out to be meaningless. The charts made no factual sense.

Many people underestimate the value of human input in processes and have no clear idea of AI’s supporting role. A bot is simply a machine that is very good at crunching numbers, reading data, and combining information, all at speed. By all means, use it for a bit of brainstorming! Stay critical. Keep thinking.

Anyone who makes or changes something in their business knows that a good process usually produces a good product. Focus solely on the end result, and things go wrong. The same applies to how we should use AI. You need to be clear about your own role as a human in the process to use the tool effectively. Not quite sure where your strengths, or those of your team, lie? Then AI can quickly kill creativity.

As humans, we can add new context. We understand authenticity. We have a feel for what gets other people excited. To allow these uniquely human qualities to flourish, you occasionally need to give yourself the time and space to quiet your mind. This is essential if we are to keep coming up with creative ideas and solutions, now and in the future. AI isn’t necessarily your saving grace. Before you know it, you could come away empty-handed.

Pieter Vos
Consultancy & Interim Management