A lot of people are bummed about AI.  Are you?

Me too.

That may not be what you expected me to say.  I have been writing quite a bit about how to use AI effectively and responsibly.  I use it regularly.  I encourage others to learn how to use it.

And still, there are plenty of reasons why I feel bummed, as I describe in this short new article.

A small group of companies and countries have enormous control over AI.  The economic system is being disrupted, aggravating inequality.  Whole categories of jobs are disappearing.  AI systems use a huge amount of energy.  It’s getting harder to tell what’s real.  Governments and bad actors can use AI for surveillance, misinformation, and military action.

Closer to home, people are tempted to rely on AI without really understanding it.  Over-reliance and automation bias are real.  Human judgment is being eroded.

So there’s a lot to be bummed about.

But that’s not the whole story.

AI can also be genuinely useful.  It can help people learn faster, think more broadly, and work more efficiently.  It can expand access to tools that used to be limited to experts or well-funded organizations.  It can serve as a kind of thinking partner.

The key question is not whether AI is good or bad.  The more practical question is: What are you going to do about it?

One option is to try to stop AI.  Or you could unplug everything and move off the grid.  For most of us, those are not realistic options.

So we need to figure out how to live with AI in a way that makes sense.

That includes trying to reduce the problems through regulation, developing industry standards and professional norms, and public pressure.  All of those matter.  None of them is enough by itself.

For these strategies to be most effective, it’s important for people to understand how AI really works.  Everyone doesn’t need to become a programmer.  But people probably do need to become intentional, capable, and cautious in how they use these tools.

If you are feeling uneasy, skeptical, or just a little overwhelmed by AI, you are not alone.  The important thing is not to get stuck there.

“Centaur” systems provide a way to combine human judgment with AI capabilities, using each for what it does best.  These systems necessarily rely on – and enhance – human judgment.  The result is often better than what AI or humans would produce independently.  For example, people might use AI to generate a wide range of options they wouldn’t have thought of, while using their judgment to decide which ones are actually good ideas.

Curious?  Stay tuned for a forthcoming piece explaining how you can create your own centaur system.