Why AI will not take over the world

Colleagues,

​Thursday morning, I hit an ice patch and my truck went off the road, resting at a 45 degree angle on an embankment leading to a stream. I’m okay.

I called AAA at 8:20 am. It is now 9:53 and I have been on a continuous series of text messages – all AI assisted. I shared a pin of my vehicle location multiple times and the AI keeps asking for a crossroads. There are none. I was on a single-lane highway in the middle of the woods.

I could have spoken with a human being and been connected with someone local and had everything set in about 10 minutes, but in this age of efficiency, it has taken over an hour.

AND, think about the human impact on me:

• AI as first contact: “Say your membership number and did you know you could get faster service filling out an online request?”
  
• Human as first contact: “Are you okay? This must be stressful. How can I help?”
  

Here’s the leadership lesson: Our greatest power is the power of human connection. Being fully present cannot be replaced, but we undermine our own power by being distracted and in a hurry. Urgency is like kryptonite.

Cheers!

Frederick