Professor Ethan Mollick discusses the impact of AI on business and education, emphasizing the importance of coexisting with AI. Topics include training people to use AI effectively, substituting vs complementing workers with AI, generating long-term value with AI, AI regulation, and AI's transformation of education.
Embrace AI as a co-worker, co-teacher, and coach to navigate its impacts in business and education.
Experiment and understand AI in various contexts to effectively integrate its potential into work environments.
Maintain human oversight and collaboration with AI, delegating tasks wisely to leverage AI's capabilities.
Deep dives
Treating AI as a Co-worker, a Co-Teacher, and a Coach
In his new book 'Co-Intelligence, Living and Working with AI,' Ethan Molick emphasizes the importance of treating AI as a co-worker, a co-teacher, and a coach. He highlights the need to understand how to use AI's power without losing our identity, learn from it without being misled, and harness its potential without negative side effects. This approach focuses on integrating AI into various aspects of work and life effectively while being aware of its limitations and benefits.
Inviting AI to the Table for Exploration
Molick stresses the importance of always inviting AI to the table to explore its capabilities and limitations. He encourages users to experiment with AI across various tasks and industries to understand its potential in different contexts. By actively engaging with AI and discovering its strengths and weaknesses through practical usage, individuals can make informed decisions on how to effectively incorporate AI into their work environments.
Being the Human in the Loop for Oversight and Synergy
Molick discusses the rule of 'being the human in the loop' to emphasize the need for human oversight and collaboration with AI. This rule focuses on the synergy between AI and humans, highlighting the importance of individuals deciding what tasks they want to delegate to AI and retaining control over their work and decision-making processes. By recognizing the complementary role of AI and maintaining agency in determining how AI is used, individuals can effectively leverage AI's capabilities in enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Treating AI Like a Person to Enhance Interaction
In 'Co-Intelligence,' Molick introduces the concept of treating AI like a person to improve interaction and communication with AI systems. While cautioning against anthropomorphizing AI, he suggests that AI's responses often mimic human interactions, making it more accessible to users who can effectively communicate instructions and feedback. By adapting a human-centered approach to working with AI, individuals can enhance collaboration and productivity in their interactions with AI technologies.
Assuming the Worst AI to Prepare for Future Progress
Molick's fourth rule, 'assuming that you're working with the worst AI you'll ever use,' prompts individuals to prepare for future advancements in AI technology. By acknowledging the potential for continued exponential improvement in AI models, individuals can stay vigilant and adaptable to evolving AI capabilities. This rule emphasizes the need to constantly evaluate and enhance one's AI strategies to remain competitive and proficient in leveraging AI for diverse tasks and industries.
Mollick is a professor of management at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship. In his new book, he discusses the profound impacts AI will have on business and education, using many examples of AI in action. His book challenges us to utilize AI’s enormous power without losing our human identity, to learn from it without being misled, and to harness its gifts to create a better human future.
Together with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Mollick discusses how to train people to use AI effectively, whether AI will substitute or complement workers, and how businesses can move beyond a short-term efficiency gains perspective to generate value with AI in the long term.
Key topics discussed:
02:27 | The four rules for living with AI
09:04 | Educating people to use AI effectively
10:47 | What experiments reveal about where AI adds (and destroys) value at work
12:45 | Substituting (vs. complementing) workers with AI
14:14 | Generating value with AI in the long-term
17:10 | Bringing about the social change in organizations alongside the tech change