Narcissism, Laziness, and the Rise of Machines
What if our collective narcissism, laziness, and need for instant gratification derail evolutionary pressure for society to adapt our intellect in the Age of Technology?
Will machines rise to rule society if we continue to accept poor performance because a person did their "Best." When "Best is Failure", perhaps machines should rule the world.
Now before you get your nose out of joint, think about this - A pilot crashes a plane and people die, but he did his best. If he did his best, should victims be allowed to sue?
Let's be honest folks. AI is NOT the answer. AI is the Assistant.
As an HR professional who worked on AI software, I saw firsthand how it could make simple tasks more efficient. Hence, you received your answer to a question or received an email reply in seconds. Society has demanded to be ''SEEN and HEARD". Enter GenAI.
Yes. AI will replace most jobs that require repetitive tasks because, we demand it, corporations save money, and with fewer employees, there is less liability. How do we succeed in the Age of Technology? We enhance our critical thinking abilities, have the patience to learn as a skill-set, and humble ourselves.
Lookie Here.
AI makes mistakes. A recent example involved New York lawyers who faced sanctions for submitting a legal brief containing six fictitious case citations generated by ChatGPT. As Reuters reported:
"A U.S. judge on Thursday imposed sanctions on two New York lawyers who submitted a legal brief that included six fictitious case citations generated by an artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT" (Sara Merken, Reuters).
This incident highlights that AI should be viewed as an augmentation not a replacement for critical human judgment.
"I think. Therefore, I am."
René Descartes
Thinking is an activity, mental gymnastics if you will. Read. Go to lectures. Install that app yourself, Interact with other generations, and debate topics civilly. Start thinking and keep thinking. Then, think some more. Hells Bells, debate whether who is stronger the Blob or the Hulk. Kant will always be there.
Fact: ChatGPT and similar platforms clearly note that information provided may not be accurate.
Test: Go to a GPT platform and ask the same question three times. Ok. Betcha got a different answer each time.
"Nacisissim Becomes Me" - Unemployed CEO
Recently, I heard a story of a robotic arm going haywire and slapping an employee across the face several times. There have been instances in my career when I wished to smack a CEO across the face, but we humans usually can restrain ourselves. Especially, if our job is on the line.
Even the Big Wigs need to start upping their game. It is not just the staff that needs upskilling, ts take a look at the narcissistic executives.
Narcissistic stupidity, as defined by Jean Cottraux in Jean-Francois Marmion's book, The Psychology of Stupidity, can be divided into two categories:
"Glorious Bastards" – These are the typical blowhards who take credit for the work of their subordinates. These types need to stop asking for the organizational chart and start working.
"A$$holes" (NAs) – This group is even more toxic. As Cottraux notes, these individuals “delight in the subjection and suffering of others and use their career to indulge their passion for humiliation.” As AI replaces subordinates, it will be difficult to humiliate a robotic arm.
The reality is that no one is irreplaceable, not even those who think they’re at the top. The sooner we all realize this, the better equipped we’ll be for success.
I Want it Now
In today's world, we celebrate people who scam our neighbors, corporate raiders, and Reality TV, such as the passengers on Below Deck or Real Housewives of Prison Block C glorifies this behavior, showcasing people who cheat to rise to fame or fortune. We idolize the rich, social influencers, artists, and CEOs who attain their status by bending the rules or being a nepo baby. Perhaps the problem with reality TV is that it is not our reality.
Take the state of music. Where are the guitarists with blisters on their hands, the worldly poetry of John Prine, or the underground scenes that created punk music?
“There’s lots of singer-songwriters, loads of middle-class bands… wearing guitars as opposed to playing them” Noel Gallagher (Wren Graves, Consequence of Sound).
The phrase, "It is never too late." is inaccurate. At a certain age, women can no longer give birth, and men eventually need a blue pill, but it is never too late to learn. We are at our best when we continue to seek new ideas.
The real question is: Is your Best Success or Failure? The future of our species may depend on it.
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