MultiValue & Artificial Intelligence - AI is not always a surefire cure

Every knowledge worker needs to be a trusted advisor to their internal and external customers.  While streamlining processes and proper utilization of technology can help the knowledge worker become more efficient, it should not promote willful ignorance. 

Quite the opposite, it should inspire intellectual curiosity and informed awareness in the knowledge worker. 

In a post "Intellectual Curiosity: Fueling Personal Growth and Innovation”, by the NeuroLaunch editorial team, they had this to say about Intellectual Curiosity:   

“At its core, intellectual curiosity is the desire to learn, understand, and engage with new ideas and concepts. It’s that little voice in your head that asks “why?” and “how?” when confronted with something unfamiliar. This trait goes beyond mere inquisitiveness; it’s a deep-seated passion for knowledge that drives individuals to actively seek out new information and experiences.” 

Therefore, intellectual curiosity can be seen as a desired trait in knowledge workers that could be used to differentiate the Trusted Advisor from the Conflicted Advisor.  While I am not sure if the desire to keep learning can be a learned trait, I have seen examples where someone can be conditioned to employ informed awareness. 

The most memorable was when I was a consultant in the Professional Services group at Unidata.  I and the other consultants were pushing the envelope of what could be done, to create solutions for our customers.  From time to time, we would hit issues with the UniData database, and needed to get assistance from Wally, the senior Technical Support Engineer, who knew as much as the best engineers in development.  When all else failed, and someone could not figure out a problem, they would go to Wally. 

Yet, unlike a Generative AI solution, different people had different levels of success when asking Wally for help, because he would not encourage willful ignorance.  Based on your question, he would always start the conversation with some variant of “what have you tried, so far?”   He wanted to understand how invested you were in determining the issue and/or learning more about the specific subject matter.  I aways came prepared, with a list of what I had tried and an explanation about what I needed assistance with, which always led to either an answer or a deeper discussion on the topic.  Those who chose to be willfully ignorant, without even trying to figure out something on their own, would often be sent away with the suggestion that they read a manual, for example. 

Generative AI can certainly offer valuable support by summarizing documentation and providing common troubleshooting steps in specific areas. However, it's crucial for individuals to engage deeply with the material themselves. Relying too heavily on AI shortcuts can lead to a superficial understanding, which may negatively affect future decision-making. By taking the time to thoroughly understand the information, individuals can develop a more robust knowledge base and make more informed decisions. Ultimately, personal effort and active learning are essential for achieving a deeper comprehension and long-term success. 

The question now becomes, “How do we leverage Generative AI, beyond that of the vast amounts of information, and the experiences of the Subject Matter Experts in such a way that it promotes deeper learning and understanding, and not promote the willful ignorance of the conflicted advisor?”  

To which I respond, “What have you tried, so far?” 

Here at Rocket Software, we're actively investigating and creating solutions to harness AI. While future articles will explore the differences of using prompt engineering to enhance formal business processes across the enterprise verses treating process engineering as a soft skill for the non-technical knowledge worker, it is in everyone's best interest to enhance their daily activities by leveraging the power of generative AI.