Leadership Minute: The Hidden, Human Costs of AI

AI will change many things we consider core to the human experience

Much has been written about the extraordinary changes Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring. In addition to tremendous productivity gains, there is concern about disruptions to millions of jobs or even threats to humanity.

Lost in these big picture predictions—some warranted, some overblown—is the small things that will be lost due to AI. These are little parts of our individual lives or previously valued skills that may become obsolete as AI changes our lives and careers.

Every technological adaptation leads to loss in certain abilities. For example, try dividing 544 by 17, using the long division method you likely learned in grade school.

If you remember how to do it, congratulations. If you don’t, there’s an obvious reason—you probably haven’t done math without access to a smartphone calculator in over a decade.

AI will usher in many similar changes. We need to recognize that some of the skills we may lose are things that we consider core to our abilities as humans and our societal contribution.