When it comes to AI, we often think of it as a binary choice: either we automate everything or we let humans do all the work. But what if I told you that’s not the only way to think about it? In fact, automation and collaboration aren’t opposites at all.
David Autor and James Manyika put it perfectly: “Automation and collaboration are not opposites, and are frequently packaged together.” Think of it like a word processor. It automatically checks your grammar and layout, but it still lets you write and express your ideas freely.
The problem is that we often try to automate everything, thinking that’s the most direct route to success. But imperfect automation is not a step towards perfect automation. It’s like trying to jump halfway across a canyon and expecting to magically jump the rest of the way. Instead, we need to think of alternative solutions, like building a bridge or hiking around the perimeter.
AI is not yet ready to jump the canyon, and it probably won’t be for a while. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use it to collaborate with humans. In fact, AI can automate away expertise in some tasks and fruitfully collaborate with experts in others. The key is to design it to do one or the other, not both at the same time.
## The Problem with Bad Automation
Bad automation tools don’t just fail to replace human expertise, they interfere with it and sometimes even undermine it. They’re not just ineffective, they’re actively harmful.
## Rethinking AI
So what does this mean for us? It means we need to rethink how we approach AI. We need to stop thinking of it as a replacement for humans and start thinking of it as a tool to augment our abilities. We need to design AI that collaborates with us, not replaces us.
Read more about it in this article: https://theatln.tc/hSMCcRvj
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