Why this reflection?

Recently, I have participated in several meetings and brainstorming sessions, either as a researcher or as a senior editor of an academic journal. During these discussions, we are often asked about our use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and our level of comfort with incorporating it into our work.

These conversations have prompted me to reflect on my own experiences with AI, as well as the opportunities and concerns it raises. The thoughts shared in this blog post are drawn from those discussions and from my personal observations of how AI is increasingly shaping the way we work, learn, and solve problems. This is not an attempt to deep dive into the world of AI.

Here are 10 things I have shared, learned, or taken away from various brainstorming sessions about the use of AI.

Ten Things to Note About Using AI (or Not?)

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1. AI is like Google 2.0 or perhaps Google+

I see the use of AI in my everyday activities and research as somewhat of a Google 2.0 or Google+. Google took all of us by storm and has been part of our lives for so long. It made it easy to access information, resources, and knowledge. This was especially useful for those in low-resource settings where institutions, academics, and students do not have the funds to subscribe to paywalled journal articles, and most academic books are out of reach.

However, one thing that differentiates AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and others from Google is that Google does not synthesize the information contained in the resources it returns. It simply makes those resources easier to find and, in some cases, easier to access. AI, on the other hand, not only gives you access to resources but also has the ability to synthesize information for easier use. It is always suggesting additional ways it can help you. I think the developers hit the jackpot when they designed it to make those suggestions.

Of course, like everything else, this comes with both advantages and disadvantages, which we may discuss in another blog post.

2. The quality of your input determines the quality of your output

There is a saying that the internet follows the principle of “garbage in, garbage out.” AI is not really any different. The quality and clarity of your prompts determine the quality of the output you receive. In other words, the quality of the instructions you give AI determines the usefulness of what it returns to you.

This is one of the aspects that makes AI so dependent on humans and somewhat undermines the fear that AI will completely replace people. It also means that, to make the best professional use of AI, you must have a solid understanding of your profession and be able to distinguish between what is right and wrong. We will discuss another reason why this is important later in this article.

However, AI is still very useful for non-professionals. It is just that they cannot suddenly use AI to replace the professionals they need.

3. AI is not a quick fix, otherwise, be ready to be embarrassed

One criticism I often hear about AI is that it will make people lazy and may lead to the underdevelopment, or at least underuse, of human ingenuity and critical thinking.

My personal view is that, given what we have discussed in points one and two, AI does not have the capacity to fully replace humans because professional use of AI does not work as a quick fix. AI still requires far more human supervision and oversight than it is often given credit for.

Yes, some tasks may become redundant, but this also creates opportunities for people in those fields to reinvent themselves while incorporating AI into their work. You can make AI a leverage, not a threat!

4. The more you use an AI, the better it serves you

I believe that the more you use a particular AI platform, the better it becomes at giving you outputs suited to your needs. The AI you use serves as a kind of non-distinctive personal assistant that you train through use. It becomes familiar with your preferences and responds more effectively with the quality of work you desire.

It also becomes better tailored to your interests because it can retain some memory of what you have shared with it. I do not necessarily believe that one AI platform is inherently better than another. Each has its strengths and limitations, but they are generally similar, except for specialized AI systems built for specific tasks such as video conversion, photograph enhancement, and other niche functions.

5. AI is here to stay!

AI is here to stay. The sooner we all get used to it and learn how to make it work for us in our individual endeavours, the better.

There is also a high chance that the earlier we incorporate AI into our daily work, the more relevant we will remain in the next frontier of human endeavour. As mentioned previously, when you recall how the internet took the world by storm and changed virtually everything about how we live and work, you begin to appreciate how AI could revolutionize everyday activities across the globe.

Those who come late to the party may still find a place, but they may pay dearly for their delay.

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6. The academic stigma around AI

There is currently somewhat of a stigma, especially in academic spaces, around the use of AI. This often makes some academics and professionals reluctant to disclose their use of these tools.

I believe this is due to some stereotypical views that have emerged around AI. Many of these perceptions are driven by fear of a new technology whose full capabilities are not yet widely understood. There is also concern that AI may replace certain jobs or that people who use AI are somehow taking an “immoral” shortcut.

I think this fear should be discarded and AI embraced as a tool, much like we embraced the internet when it allowed us to access books and journal articles instead of spending endless days in physical libraries.

No one should be ashamed of working smart. I strongly believe that humans should always explore better ways of getting things done. If you are genuinely using AI to support your work and improve your performance, there is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you may be among the early adopters of a transformative technology that is already impacting virtually every aspect of our lives.

You came early to the party.

7. AI can assist your work, but it still needs your input

The use of AI to assist with your work still requires work on your part. This is why I believe that, if you want to use AI as an unsupervised quick fix, you should be prepared for embarrassment.

So, how should you use AI to assist your work?

Considering that AI can be likened to Google 2.0 or Google+, any output you obtain from AI should still undergo critical review. Think of AI as providing a template or starting point. Once you adopt that mindset, you realise that your critical revision is not merely useful, it is essential.

This critical review determines whether AI serves you or embarrasses you.

In many cases where AI has generated fabricated academic references or made unsupported claims, the responsibility ultimately rests with the user. You cannot afford to be a “lazy” participant when using AI.

8. Is AI really going to take our jobs?

Maybe it will take over certain aspects of our jobs, but I seriously doubt it will be on the scale that many people fear.

Remember the issue of critically reviewing AI outputs? Who is going to do that? Definitely not AI, humans!

A recent news story describing how Ford, the American automobile manufacturer, had to rehire over 300 veteran engineers is a ‘textbook case’ illustrating this point. The company reportedly found that AI-driven quality-control systems did not fully meet expectations as replacements for human expertise. Ford Vice President Charles Poon told the BBC:

“Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it…. Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers who have been with us through many product cycles.”

Poon also said:

“Mistakenly, we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that would produce a high-quality product,”

I hope you can now see the main points I have been making. AI may help those engineers do their jobs faster and perhaps even better, but replacing them entirely? That is a much longer shot!

9. AI can be a lifesaver for solving some everyday challenges

My experience is that AI can be extremely useful for brainstorming ideas and exploring questions about everyday life, and sometimes not-so-everyday issues.

For people who are not so familiar with the complexities of our modern world, AI can help make life easier to navigate, provided they possess basic reading and writing skills. It can also help strengthen your ideas by allowing you to explore different possibilities and perspectives. AI can highlight some of the pros and cons of decisions you may be considering and help you think more broadly about your options.

10. Use AI, but do not let it replace your thinking cap

Use AI, but do not let it replace your thinking cap.

Use it to learn, enhance your work, improve your communication skills, and support everything in between. If you take the time to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than treating it as a quick fix, you will discover both what you like and what you do not like about it.

The key is to let AI support your thinking, not replace it.

I’ld love to hear what you think. Do drop a comment.

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AI use disclosure: I used the following prompt to correct my initial draft of this blogpost using Copilot; “This is a blogpost. Maintain the content and tone as much as possible and correct grammar and typographical errors:[added full draft].

Note: Critical revision of the corrected version was done afterwards before publication.