If you ask something of ChatGPT, an artificial-intelligence (AI) tool that is all the rage, the responses you get back are almost instantaneous, utterly certain and often wrong. It is a bit like talking to an economist. The questions raised by technologies like ChatGPT yield much more tentative answers. But they are ones that managers ought to start asking.
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One issue is how to deal with employees’ concerns about job security. Worries are natural. An AI that makes it easier to process your expenses is one thing; an AI that people would prefer to sit next to at a dinner party quite another. Being clear about how workers would redirect time and energy that is freed up by an AI helps foster acceptance. So does creating a sense of agency: research conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review and the Boston Consulting Group found that an ability to override an AI makes employees more likely to use it.
Whether people really need to understand what is going on inside an AI is less clear. Intuitively, being able to follow an algorithm’s reasoning should trump being unable to. But a piece of research by academics at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Polytechnic University of Milan suggests that too much explanation can be a problem.
Employees at Tapestry, a portfolio of luxury brands, were given access to a forecasting model that told them how to allocate stock to stores. Some used a model whose logic could be interpreted; others used a model that was more of a black box. Workers turned out to be likelier to overrule models they could understand because they were, mistakenly, sure of their own intuitions. Workers were willing to accept the decisions of a model they could not fathom, however, because of their confidence in the expertise of people who had built…
2023-02-02 09:18:13 The relationship between AI and humans
Post from www.economist.com Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is drastically transforming the way we interact with machines. AI has been applied to virtually every industry, and with its growing influence, conversations inevitably arise in regards to the impact it has on our lives, particularly the relationship between AI and humans.
Like many technologies before it, the goal of AI is to improve the quality of life and the efficiency of work; this relationship is a two-way street as well, with AI capabilities yielding improved understanding of humans through data and analytics. Nonetheless, some worries remain as to how AI systems can negatively influence our lives and what potential downsides could arise.
First and foremost, it is important to note that AI systems are not programmed to be malicious — they are made to accurately process data and to interact with others. As a result, the relationship between AI and humans is predominantly beneficial, with AI being used to automate processes and save time for humans. For instance, AI can be used for predictive analytics, enabling us to make decisions more quickly and confidently.
At the same time, AI can be used to enhance human-to-human interactions as well. For instance, AI-powered chatbots are becoming increasingly popular, allowing companies to streamline conversations with customers and provide a more personalized experience. Additionally, AI can be used to augment human creativity, allowing for less repetitive and more creative tasks.
Thankfully, the potential adverse consequences of AI are limited if the technology is used responsibly. Take facial recognition technology, for example — while it can be used to increase safety and convenience, it could also be used in an unethical manner and can lead to profound privacy implications. Therefore, regulations and guidelines should be in place to ensure AI is used ethically, and regular oversight needs to be conducted to ensure that this is the case.
In conclusion, the relationship between AI and humans is undeniably positive if used responsibly. While potential downsides exist, they can be managed with proper regulations and careful implementation. In the end, it is up to us to make sure AI is used in a manner that benefits humanity, and help create a better future for our societies.