12.03.2024
Artificial Intelligence and Intuition: Opposing or complementing forces?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a prediction technology that excels in automation and optimization of tasks across various occupations.
The disruptive potential of AI will impact approximately 30% tasks of 60% of jobs with the potential for automation according to a McKinsey study already issued in 2017. However, it will augment rather than replace workforce.
Embracing change becomes crucial in the transformative era.
What role will humans play when machines simulate thinking?
What is the role and are the responsibilities of decision-makers and creative people?
How will work, unique contribution and value creation be defined?
Inspiring questions! The following ‚close-up‘ is based on insights published in articles by Berkley ExeEd, Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell (e.g. Andreas Moring, KI und Intuition), MIT Sloan (e.g. Otto Scharmer, Theory U-Emerging futures) and ‚Leader as Healer‘ by Nicholas Janni.
AI and human intuition are not opposing forces but rather complement each other. They excel in different areas respectively where the other falls short.
AI excels in automation, optimization and forecasts in stable context but tends to over-optimize solutions, i.e. results are statistically accurate but lacking context relevance. In latter, human intuition, the ability to understand a situation/challenge intstinctively w/o the need for concious reasoning excels with simple, robust and sustainable and fit for real-world responses.
Four business scenarios that might spark your interest, provide first insights and create an impulse to embrace your change:
Strategic decision-making
Scenario 1
Your team is embracing AI tools for strategic decision-making.
How can you ensure a balanced human-machine relationship for optimal outcomes?
Leadership and business strategy
Scenario 2
You are tasked with creating a business strategy that incorporates AI for innovation.
Why is it important to align AI incorporating strategies with long-term goals?
Change & employee concerns
Scenario 3
Your organization is implementing AI to optimize customer service. Team members express concerns about job displacements.
What are most relevant measures during AI adoption?
Ethical AI use -considerations
Scenario 4
AI has identified potential cost-cutting, but proposed changes might be over-optimized and impact employee ethics and motivation.
What are essential considerations?
Takeaway
AI presents both, immense potential and significant change:
It will impact every job but will mostly augment rather than replace workforce.
Hence,
necessitating a pivotal shift in workforce dynamics, roles, responsibilities and learning trajectories.
Takeaway
AI excels in tasks related to automation, optimization and forecast.
It operates rationally, weighing alternatives, probabilities and benefits.
However,
AI systems tend to over-optimize and provide results that might be statistically correct but lack contextual relevance.
Takeaway
Human decision is selective and intuitve,
Especially in volatile context, under high complexity and/or uncertainties, responses are simple and robust resulting in sustainable solutuions.
Remember,
success is measured by real-world implications and consequences, not just accuracy of AI predictions and decisions
Roles and responsibilities for decision-makers and creative people - in a nutshell
- Strike a balance between data-driven insights/decisions facilitated by AI and human understanding, intuition and motivation that involve context, complexity and uncertainties.
- Navigate transformative times with an open mind, a vision rooted in meaning and purpose, embracing uncertainties, ensuring sustainable decisions align with long-term goals
- Embrace AI as a collaborator, understanding its implications, being open for early AI adaptations, collaborating with AI experts, to amplify productivity and catalyze groundbreaking innovations but
- Recognize that AI lacks intrinsic human understanding, making soft skills such as intuition, critical thinking and active listening in leadership vital
- Need to think globally for more comprehensive strategies. AI facilitates collaboration in diverse global teams
- Foster the need for accelerated learning trajectories and upskilling, i.e. that both humans and AI should train in their distinct domains—AI in automation, optimization and forecast, humans in flexibility, holistic thinking and intuition.
- Advocate for ethical AI use, ensuring that AI guidelines/policies respect privacy, fairness, and transparency not just as a matter of ethics but also good business practice, building trust with consumers.
- Ensure a clear and effective communication, managing uncertainties and empowering individuals and teams.
- Understand that intuition manifests physically. Well-being and regular practice in situations where physical perception is used, such as in nature or moments of calmness, helps differentiate intuition from fear, hope or wishful thinking.