Why Discernment Is Our Best Defense Against the AI Hype Machine
Leveraging AI’s Potential while Mitigating Risks
Last week, I attended a conference for The Conference Board of Canada’s Council for Innovation and Commercialization called “Explore How to Leverage AI’s Potential while Mitigating its Risks.”
Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
The meeting featured sessions run by senior innovation experts discussing the use of AI in the workplace. One topic that came up repeatedly was the challenge organizations face when it comes to AI regulation.
Many organizational leaders are frustrated by the lack of clarity from governments and AI companies around the many obvious threats AI poses currently and the lesser-known risks that will impact all of us in the long term.
This growth-at-all-costs mindset around AI and the insatiable competition in Silicon Valley to continue to innovate and outdo one another leaves businesses to navigate this ever-changing landscape without a map.
And the truth is, no one is coming to help us.
Certainly, we can’t rely on the very companies that have created this technology to regulate it. And while the Canadian government is making strides to address AI safety risks, it feels like they’re already behind the curve.
AI Isn’t Going Anywhere
The explosive growth of AI as a business tool is one of the biggest tests leaders face today.
How do we adopt AI technologies safely, ethically and intelligently within our organizations when there are no parameters to guide us?
The answer? I think leaders must carve out those parameters themselves. AI isn’t going anywhere, so those in leadership positions need to understand how they can use this technology within their business in a way that aligns with their goals, their mission, their values and the needs of their employees and customers.
Tackling this problem will require one of the most crucial soft skills a leader can have: discernment.
And this is especially challenging when leaders are under the intense pressure of the AI hype machine. This adapt-or-die mindset, and the fear of missing out leaves many leaders feeling they must integrate AI into their operations immediately, lest they get left behind. And this rush to adapt leaves little time for critical or strategic thinking.
Tackling this problem will require one of the most crucial soft skills a leader can have: discernment. This ability to see beyond the surface of an issue, deeply analyze information, examine details, and make sound judgements based on a comprehensive understanding of a situation has never been more necessary. Leaders will have to step back, take a breath, take a beat and review the needs of their business to see how AI aligns with their objectives.
We know there are many downsides to AI, from IP issues to environmental concerns, not to mention errors and inaccuracies in its output. But there are more micro risks to an organization as well.
- What happens when employees share sensitive and confidential information?
- What happens when AI plagiarizes content used for internal and external communications?
- What happens to teams when they let AI do all the thinking for them?
- Will ‘cognitive automation’ make our teams less sharp? And what does that mean for the business as a whole?
