Double Down on the Human Stuff

 

I can’t even type anymore without my computer trying to finish my sentences. 

Before I’ve read an email, it’s drafted a reply. Before I’ve opened a blank page, it’s suggesting what I should write next. 

Collective Conscious

Where do you even begin when it comes to AI and where it’s taking us individually and collectively? It’s in our search engines, our inboxes, our phones. It’s in the posters we look at, the adverts we see. Even when you think you’ve opted out, you’ve probably just stumbled into another version of it.

There hasn’t been a lunch at Tribe recently where AI hasn’t come up. The conversation is usually the same. We’re all a bit dubious. A bit nervous. We instinctively want to reject it, but most of us are already using it somewhere. Some of us love it and enjoy working alongside it.

I was hesitant to write about AI because it’s so vast I don’t know where to start. Are we all getting a bit sick of talking about it? And yet it feels impossible not to think about it.

There are things AI does remarkably well. Proofreading contracts. Summarising pages of notes. Turning spreadsheets into something that actually makes sense. Creating a power point in 3 minutes that would have taken a day. Realistically, that’s just the surface of it. I catch myself reaching for ChatGPT more often than I’d like to admit. 

Of course there are the obvious concerns. People will lose work. Some already have. It takes enormous amounts of energy to run these systems at scale. It supercharges misinformation at a time where people already digest their news via social media and unchecked sources. It can imitate almost anyone, produce almost anything and do it convincingly. To top it all off, the power is in the hands of the powerful and greedy. 

 

“AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there’ll be great companies.” — Sam Altman

 

The Human Stuff

I also worry about what it does to us.

If a machine is constantly suggesting the next sentence, writing the first draft, making the image, answering the question, what happens to the part of us that wrestles with ideas? The slow bit. The bit that can be difficult but can also be fun. The bit where the creativity, learning and little bit of human magic actually lives.

“The best agencies are about to figure out how to use AI to maximise, rather than replace the talent they have at their disposal.” –Ollie Scott

To pay AI some dues, I then think about the positive impacts it could have on the NHS. About admin. About all the repetitive, soul-destroying jobs that nobody actually wants to spend hours doing. The parts that can transform areas of life and society for good

Sometimes the tech isn’t the problem, it’s how we use it and manage it. 

 

Finding Balance

Can we use it for genuinely useful stuff without letting it creep into every corner of our lives? Is there a version of this technology that supports our humanity rather than quietly replacing and destroying parts of it?

 

“Humanity is about to be handed almost unimaginable power, and it is deeply unclear whether our social, political, and technological systems possess the maturity to wield it.”— Dario Amodei 

 

I don’t know. I also think for that to be reality the power is in the wrong hands and Pandora’s box is already open.

When my thoughts start spiralling, I always come back to the human hand.

No one does it quite like you.

A handmade card. A conversation that goes off on a tangent. A book that’s been underlined, folded and passed between friends. The magic of a live event that’s shared among hundreds but yet stays in the room. Someone making something simply because they wanted to.

If something is entirely created, automated and published by AI, I can’t help but question where its value comes from. It isn’t lived. It isn’t felt. It isn’t the product of someone’s curiosity or joy or sadness. It’s a mirror, reflecting back what it thinks we want and what already exists. 

Maybe that’s useful sometimes.

But it isn’t life.

 

Be Intentional

So perhaps the answer isn’t trying to reject AI completely. Maybe that ship has sailed. Maybe the answer is to become more intentional about the things we choose to value.

Read more books.

Go to more events.

Support artists.

Make things badly before you make them well.

Let yourself sit with difficult thoughts instead of outsourcing them.

Spend more time in conversations that have questions left unanswered. 

Double down on the good stuff. The human stuff.

 

Curious for more?

Tribers, what do you want to know about AI? Is it about the impact of Data Centres, the inner workings, how to use AI as a tool. Is it more of a hosted conversation where we can let it all out and see what others think? Let us know! Let’s talk about it together. 

For those already curious and want to explore the world of AI, here are some places to start that we found insightful and digestible. 

And if you’re craving a little more of the wonderfully human side of things, here’s an open invitation.

This September, Tribe Talks and Art Club are both returning. They’re an easy way to try something new, learn alongside others, spark fresh ideas, get creative, and spend time with a brilliant community. More details to come, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to be the first in the know. 

If you’re looking for coworking in Edinburgh, a community to be part of, or simply a more connected way of working, Tribe Porty is here to help you connect, create and grow. Find out more about coworking here.

 

 

As always we’d love to connect and hear your thoughts, let us know what you think and what you want to see more of at Tribe Porty. You can read our latest Annual Report here. 

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