Human in the loop

You have probably heard the term ‘Human in the Loop’ when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence.

There are a few good reasons you might find AI companies telling you that it is important to keep people in the process. First is probably about liability, because AI is prone to misstep. Secondly, it helps to allay fears about AI taking your job, third is perhaps that you giving feedback to AI can train it to be better.

Whatever the real reason, I believe it is important to keep yourself ‘in the loop’.

All the evidence I have seen so far suggests that when you outsource to AI, the quality suffers and our skills diminish.

Don't forget that the vastest source of data these models are trained on comes from the Internet - think about how much low quality content there is online.

People who have developed a reliance on AI may be churning out work more quickly, but the value of that work is likely to be lower

People who have developed a reliance on AI may be churning out work more quickly, but the value of that work is likely to be lower, if they are not putting any effort into shaping the output themselves.

The more that we outsource the more our skills are diminished, this means that over time we are less likely to be able to spot gaps in the work we produce.

People with the skills can find that they start to publish lower quality work when they outsource to AI. While others will share content that they do not have the skills to critique, risking the work they publish being flawed.

As more and more content is being produced by AI the quality gap is becoming increasingly evident, exacerbated as AI will train itself on its own work. Low quality presentations and gaps in the logic they present is becoming commonplace, those producing them are often unable to answer key questions about the subject matter because they have not carried out the process of producing the work and so skipped the thinking that is so necessary for shaping their own ideas.

My recommendation is that if you are using AI to help with productivity, you should aim to use it to scaffold work and help you construct your own thoughts, rather than seeking for the end result to be produced on your behalf. It may take you slightly longer but being more productive shouldn't be at the compromise of quality or the detriment of your own skills - otherwise ask yourself why are you being employed in the first place - if the machine can do it without you .

Next time you need to write a presentation, don't outsource it. Use AI to help structure your thinking while still crafting an end product that is your own. Those extra few minutes you spend will allow you to carry out the critical processing and organisation necessary to achieve better outcomes.