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Your team of AIs

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.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommended resources...

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