Kevin Kelly’s writing about AI, and specifically types of AI (rather than the monolithic general-intelligence-that’s-smarter-than-we-are-and-gets-rapidly-smarter-still that we worry about) has got me thinking about my colleagues: is it helpful to imagine them as if they were AIs available for collaboration?
It raises thoughts and questions like:
- They are really smart and very valuable collaborators;
- What is their intelligence optimised for?
- How could I best define their work in order to help them put their skills to work?
- How can I help them learn new skills?
- How do their skills most compliment my own?
Of course, they are RIs (Real Intelligences) and APs (actual people)… and it’s a fair criticism that it shouldn’t be necessary to frame them as AIs to think about these important and obvious questions… but its given me a lot of food for thought, and made me less disappointed that my colleagues aren’t all-powerful general intelligences who can think of everything that needs to be done and do it better than I can. It’s enough that each of us does something well, and that we coordinate effectively enough to “outsource” work to each other’s relative strengths.