As with everything in life, trends come and go, hypes peak and dip, and The Next Big Thing fades into distant memory when the new Next Big Thing arrives. Along with death, taxes, and change, the only other certainty in life is that human connection is necessary for survival.
Over the last year, LinkedIn has become my professional version of The Daily Mail. I pop in for 15 minutes a day to scan headlines and pick up juicy pieces of work-related gossip but then move on to better, more substantiated sources of work-related news. The quality of writing has dropped significantly, and the useful information being shared has been diluted by AI-generated content riddled with errors and a visible lack of authenticity. The collateral damage of poor-quality content on any platform, not just a professional one, is that it eventually becomes the standard against which new professionals learn from and businesses create metrics against. We are reducing our collective intellect one unchecked AI-generated article at a time.
Inclusion and belonging
I have worked in HR for over twenty-five years, and I know a thing or two about people. Inclusion and belonging are two of our core requirements for survival, and we are losing these dramatically in the current working environment. One of my favourite books is Clan of the Cave Bear (#Ayla #Jondalar), and I think that the author Jean M. Auel does a brilliant job of illuminating the lives of prehistoric humans. The basis of their survival was being part of a clan, participating in activities together, and clear communication (signals and grunts count!). No matter which side of the Big Bang you stand on, for however long humans have been on Earth, we have required connection to survive and thrive.
The concept of ‘Human-in-the-Loop’ is not new, and it is certainly not limited to technology alone. AI and technology are not substitutes for connection, and they cannot replace humans. They are just tools. Organizations need to stop trying to replace human connection with tools. We should be including our people in conversations within the company and focusing on fostering a culture of collaboration and learning together. AI and technology adoption will follow naturally and augment a healthy organisational culture of learning and success, but not if the goal is to replace human connection with AI.
Humans are the Loop
Humans must be factored into the loop to be part of the loop. In fact, if we acknowledge the criticality of connection in the success of society, then we need to accept that humans are the loop. They shouldn’t be ‘in the loop’, rather AI should be added to the loop of human connection to enhance and fortify. Humans are the fabric of intelligence, communication, and creativity. Without the unique contribution of individuals to the collective, there is no innovation or progress. While there is no way we can ignore the significant and far-reaching role that AI plays in society and our lives, AI is still just a tool.
AI is not, and cannot become, a substitute for the environmental factors necessary for inclusion and belonging. Certainly, it can and will enhance human capability and capacity, but it will never replace the essence of what makes us human – the desire for quality connection with other humans. Organizations that recognize this and implement business strategies that prioritize people will be the ones that succeed and truly maximize the benefits of AI in the workplace.