The world is focused on not being human…

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately with executives and boards, thinking about the impact of AI on their businesses.

I want to start with the thought that I have been using to agitate some of these leaders, that is:

The world is focused on not being human when being human is the only way you will ever make a difference.

Lex Fridman recently released one of the longest podcasts ever, which is not the story; for those unfamiliar with Lex, he is a researcher at MIT and hosts a podcast that focuses on artificial intelligence and technology. His breakthrough work was in 2019 when he produced a study that concluded that drivers remained focused while using Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system. He has become friendly with Elon Musk and other notable artificial intelligence and technology personalities. In the Elon Musk: Neuralink and the Future of Humanity | Lex Fridman Podcast #438, Lex goes DEEP in discussing Neuralink, including an in-depth discussion with Nolin Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, the first human to have received a Neuralink device implanted in his brain. What’s fascinating in this over 8½ hour broadcast (besides the fact that I listened to the entire thing while walking and working around the house over the weekend) is that the discussion of the value-add is almost exclusively human. The interface of humans with technology, in this case, the human brain interface, is interesting, but the goals of the people involved and the focus is on how all of them are becoming better humans through the leverage of technology.

This is the key point of my “being human” leadership discussion. Those of us that use AI as a tool much like we use a pencil or our MacBooks will be the winners in the long run.  Recently, The Atlantic ran an article that illustrates this point rather directly.  Excuse Me, Is There AI in That? by Brian Merchant discusses the backlash against AI that has emerged, both from watchdog groups and consumers. Companies like Dove and Discover have launched ad campaigns highlighting their commitment to human representation, resonating with public concern over AI's impact on authenticity. Start-ups like Cara, a social-media app for artists, have gained popularity by prohibiting AI-generated content, reflecting a growing demand for platforms that prioritize human creativity.

Meanwhile, businesses like Inqwire and AnswerConnect emphasize human-driven services, capitalizing on consumer preference for human interaction over AI systems. The trend of AI-free labeling, akin to organic food labels, signals a desire for authenticity and quality in digital products and services, which is just beginning.

However, the bigger point is not anti-AI blowback; AI is here to stay.  Large language models are just the beginning.  The more significant issue is how we, as humans, use this new tool.  Many will use it as a soulless crutch to crank out emails and automate redundant tasks, as illustrated in Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI, in a recent McKinsey Quarterly, but the real winners will be the ones that use human thought passion, and emotions in conjunction with AI tools such as large language models to greatly enhance their creativity and their productivity.

So, as a leader, it’s not as simple as using AI because in fact, you must become familiar with the tools available and use them in your day-to-day activities just as you use Google search or an iPad. The real question is how will you add “HI” or human intelligence to the artificial intelligence tools that you use and lead your teams with?

Be well,

Ron

Note: I used the AI image-generating tool Firefly by Adobe to generate the image used in this story.  The prompt was: “An image of an AI system with a human inside creating the output content.”

Feel free to contact me at ron@valize.com, ron@uplandgroup.us or connect with me on LinkedIn atlinkedin.com/in/ronboire/ or Twitter @ronboire

Resources:

Elon Musk: Neuralink and the Future of Humanity | Lex Fridman Podcast #438: Elon Musk is CEO of Neuralink, SpaceX, Tesla, xAI, and CTO of X. DJ Seo is COO & President of Neuralink. Matthew MacDougall is Head Neurosurgeon at Neuralink. Bliss Chapman is Brain Interface Software Lead at Neuralink. Noland Arbaugh is the first human to have a Neuralink device implanted in his brain (transcript can be found here).

Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI, McKinsey Quarterly:  A great overview of how Gen AI-enabled agents can ease the automation of complex and open-ended use cases.  And, a great illustration of how most organizations will use AI.

Ron is a globally experienced organizational transformation specialist and leadership coach.  His leadership has rapidly transformed underperforming businesses and operating groups as well as non-profits to create measurable results in extraordinarily short timeframes.  He has held C-level roles as CEO of Barnes & Noble, Sears Canada, and Brookstone, as well as senior leadership positions at Sony, Toys R Us, Sears Holdings, and Best Buy.