Can We Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Be More Human?
Like many people, I’ve been thinking a lot about GenAI this summer. While it’s been around for a while—with early text generation starting in the 1960s and the rise of chatbots in the 1990s—its exponential growth right now can feel overwhelming.
There still seem to be more questions than answers. The main question on my mind is: How can we use GenAI to be more human?
For me, the answer is using GenAI consciously and intentionally to amplify our creativity, inspiration, innovation, and connection. Regardless of what we use GenAI tools for (marketing, programming, design thinking, skill-building, media creation, etc.), we fundamentally should be enriching our human experience. And GenAI certainly has the potential to help us do this.
There's a story—which may or may not be apocryphal—about Charles Steinmetz, a prominent electrical engineer working for General Electric, who fixed a gigantic new generator at a Ford plant after unsuccessful attempts by local engineers. He listened to its sounds for two days, made numerous computations, and then put a chalk mark on one area of the generator, giving instructions for fixing it at that exact spot. Henry Ford was thrilled with the repair but not so much with GE’s $10,000 bill. He returned it, asking for an itemization. Here’s how Steinmetz personally responded:
Making chalk mark on generator $1.
Knowing where to make mark $9,999.
(Henry Ford paid the bill.)
When it comes to GenAI, we humans are the ones who know where to make the mark.
GenAI is the ordinary chalk—highly intelligent and useful, of course—but human beings add the extraordinary: the fullness of our individual insights, intuition, and experience. If we think of GenAI more as humans WITH machines, as opposed to humans VS. machines, we can set aside our anxieties about artificial intelligence, feed it information thoughtfully and deliberately, and interact with it in ways that augment our human experience. GenAI is a tool we can use to handle the ordinary while we focus on delivering the extraordinary—the stuff only humans can do.
One thing’s for sure: We’re all on this journey of GenAI exploration and experimentation together!
If you want to join the discussion with us, register for our free Exploring ChatGPT for Learning virtual lunch and learn on Thursday, September 14th at noon CT. We’ll have an open discussion about ChatGPT, use cases for leadership skill-building, and offer a short demo. Can’t join? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about how ChatGPT or other GenAI tools can serve your training and development needs, reach out! We’re here to help.
-Michelle Kelly, CEO (Chief Enjoyment Officer)
EPI Happenings
September is a busy month for EPI. Besides our ChatGPT lunch and learn mentioned above, Deanell Sandoval, our VP of Leadership, will be attending the AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) 2023 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Reach out to Deanell if you’ll be going too and would like to connect.
Recommended Reading
The Song of Significance
by Seth Godin
We at EPI have always believed that humans aren’t resources to be used like tools in a toolbox, and this book clearly echoes that sentiment. Godin challenges us to reimagine the way we collaborate so we can create work that matters with people who care.
Like most of his recent books, this one is a compilation of essays that are quick to read and provide many thought-provoking nuggets.
More Good Stuff from EPI
