Silicone symbiosis: how to build a healthy, rewarding relationship with AI

Since the invention of the wheel, the human race has maintained its dominance using a unique and unparalleled set of skills to thrive and adapt to change. We are truly a phenomenal species unique within our known universe. This is due in part to our remarkable ability to design, create and integrate new developments and technology that enhance and improve our life expectancy and experiences over generations.

Building on my years working with organisations helping front-line leaders engage their teams during change (leading with purposeful vision, having great conversations, encouraging teamwork, making values-based decisions etc), I thought it might be interesting to draw some imaginative parallels as employers begin to navigate new pathways in the thrilling new world of work involving Artificial Intelligence. I call it the’ Phenomenal Human Guide To Integrating Your New AI’. So here are my practical thoughts on how to integrate a new piece of AI into your workplace to create a GOOD working relationship- one that is mutualistic in its nature i.e. good for the organisation and good for the human worker.

An example of what a mutualistic AI/Human working relationship might look like would be where the AI enables smarter and more responsive decision-making (that is fact-based and free from unconscious bias) and learns from its experience making it smarter and more in tune with its data. And where the human benefits by enabling the team to fulfil its goals (e.g. increased customer engagement) but in a way that means they still have to engage with their job and achieve some form or satisfaction, rather than switch off. I’ve always been fascinated by the 1950’s story of how sales of pre-made cake mixes soared once the dehydrated egg was removed, requiring the housewife to ‘do’ something which then felt like she was cooking. In the cake-baking human/packet dynamic the belief that she was the driver, rather than the passenger, helped assuage the wife’s guilt around what it meant to be a good housewife in that era. So what does it mean to be a ‘good worker’ now in our era? I recall an informal discussion with a pioneering transport design techie that apparently, humans prefer working with robots that have a pre-designed flaw requiring the humans to maintain watch. Why? Following a dynamic risk assessment, if our brains conclude something is perfect and risk-free, it will do exactly what it is designed to do: either switch attention and focus elsewhere, or conserve brain energy and switch off. Okay for the role of passenger, but not for the driver.

‘The Phenomenal Human Guide To Integrating Your New AI’

How to integrating your new AI for a GOOD working relationship:

Goal: In order to remain in charge you need to set the plan... What is your vision for a successful working relationship with your new exciting piece of tech?

Outcome: Your tech should help you achieve your goals (not the other way round)… What are the specific set of outcomes you require, to then define its role and set the boundaries?

Own: How do you want your skills to be enhanced through this? E,g if you are the creative, then when specifically in the task chain will you want your distinct skill need to step up and in to the driving seat?

Decide: What and when will be your triggers to indicate the need challenging the outcome in line with your Goal?

Start with an employment/work related fact and then end with a relevant call to action that appeals to my target audience which is a front line manager who leads a team of approximately 10 people on around £40-60k

Subject: How AI can enhance our lives

Audience: Front line manager who leads a team of approx 10ish people probably on around £40-60k

Question: What should our relationship with AI look like?

Answer:  As in nature, we should be aiming for a Mutualistic relationship to fully harness the power of AI to enhance our lives

Situation: The Age of AI is progressing, and we need to examine our relationship with it, to maximise the benefits it can bring us

Complication: As with symbiosis in nature (parasitic, commensalistic, mutualistic), we can form the same types relationships with AI, but need to make sure we form a solid, healthy relationship to ensure we are not superseded by AI in the future.

Question: How can we make sure we are not the Gorillas of tomorrow?

Answer: Laura Thomson’s Guide to a Mutualistic relationship with AI:

Good: In order to remain in charge you need to set the plan... What is your vision for a successful working relationship with your new interactive pet?

Outcome: This kit should help you achieve your goals (not the other way round) so what is the specific role you need it to play?

Own: How do you want your skills to be enhanced through this? E,g if you are the creative, when specifically in the task chain will your distinct skill need to step up and in?

Decide: what and when will be your triggers for challenging the outcome?

Key Line 1: Symbiosis in nature, description of three relationships. Carbon symbiosis

Key Line 2: We also need to consider silicon symbiosis. Attitudes and approaches vary:

Parasitic: The robots are coming to steal all our jobs!

Commensalistic: Workers who's current jobs can be better done by robots/AI are reassigned to jobs that celebrate their humanness. However this line of thinking assumes a scenario where we are still benefiting from AI, but there is no impact on the tech, because they are just robots. With Super-intelligent AI we cannot be that dismissive, never underestimate something that intellectually dwarfs you.

Mutualistic: Licklider’s vision of enabling man and machine to cooperate in making decisions, control complex situations without the inflexible dependence on predetermined programs.

This should be our relationship model, so that we can maximise both human and AI potential!

Key Line 3: How amazing is the hard tech! Bionics, etc

Key Line 4: How will cognitive AI improve our quality of life: examples

Key Line 5: Gamification of learning

Key Line 6: Key Line 7: With this in mind I have developed my Theory on Integrating your new AI for GOOD

Good: In order to remain in charge you need to set the plan... What is your vision for a successful working relationship with your new interactive pet?

Outcome: This kit should help you achieve your goals (not the other way round) so what is the specific role you need it to play?

Own: How do you want your skills to be enhanced through this? E,g if you are the creative, when specifically in the task chain will your distinct skill need to step up and in?

Decide: What and when will be your triggers for challenging the outcome?

Laura Thomson-Staveley is founder and leadership coach at Phenomenal Training and co-host of Secrets from A Coach podcast. For more information visit: phenomenaltraining.com and secretsfromacoach.com