What we're learning about working with AI

‍

The reality of AI in our daily lives looks different from what most expected. Rather than a dramatic disruption, we're seeing a subtle but significant change in how people approach their work and personal projects.

In offices and home workspaces around the world, AI has settled into an unexpected role: the capable but imperfect assistant. Software developers describe it as having a junior colleague who can handle routine tasks but needs consistent oversight. Perhaps this dynamic reveals something interesting about human-AI collaboration: 

We're not outsourcing our judgment, we're extending our capabilities.

A developer's observation on Reddit captures this perfectly: AI "will spew out tons of basic repetitive stuff that then needs to be checked if it's at all important." This isn't a limitation so much as a natural division of labor. The mechanical aspects of work go to AI, while human expertise focuses on evaluation and refinement.

Writing and creative work

The more creative sectors offer particularly telling insights. Writers and content creators aren't using AI to replace their voice, they're using it to find their voice more quickly. For instance, using AI to draft client communications that maintain professionalism while pushing back on misguided feedback. Seems like not everything is about automation but finding distance from emotional reactions to create better professional relationships. 

Teachers and project managers have found similarly practical applications. They're using AI to handle the time-consuming aspects of their work like lesson planning, meeting summaries, or feedback drafts, which leaves more room for meaningful interaction with students and colleagues.

The personal experiments

Outside of work, people are exploring AI's potential in ways that reveal our changing relationship with technology. Parents write AI-generated songs about their children's daily activities. Game enthusiasts use it to enhance their storytelling. Sure, these aren't revolutionary applications, but they show how AI is being included into our daily lives in small, personal ways.

There are some real Concerns

The integration hasn't been without issues. Privacy concerns remain significant, particularly in professional settings where data security is paramount. Many organizations are still figuring out how to balance AI's benefits with data protection requirements. As one public sector worker noted, there's a concerning casualness about how personal data is handled in some institutions.

Accuracy is another ongoing challenge. Users regularly catch AI tools making mistakes or fabricating information. But this has led to a more sophisticated understanding of AI's role, not as an oracle of truth, but as a tool that requires human verification and judgment.

Finding balance

What's emerging is a more nuanced approach to AI integration. People are learning to use these tools not as replacements for human thought but as catalysts for it. Some users even describe arguing with AI systems, using them as intellectual sparring partners to refine their own thinking.

This points to something important: AI's value isn't just in what it produces, but in how it helps us think differently about our own work and processes. The technology is becoming less a solution in itself and more a tool for extending human capabilities in thoughtful ways.

Overall, the focus seems to be shifting from what AI can do to how we can work with it most effectively. The key insight of my readings isn't about AI's capabilities but about human judgment in applying them. When used thoughtfully, these tools aren't making us obsolete, they're giving us more room to be human.

📖 References:
‍
• Reddit r/AskUK. n.d. “Has anyone actually implemented some kind of AI?”
  https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/.../
• Reddit r/OpenAI. n.d. “What's the craziest way that you use AI in your…”
  https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/.../