People still needed for creative innovation
Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty reflect on whether machines can ever completely replace humans in the workplace.
In January 2009, Captain Chesley Sullenberger succeeded in landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York following the failure of both engines after take-off from LaGuardia Airport. The decision to land on the river saved the lives of all on board. Trying to land at nearby Teterboro Airport or attempting a return to LaGuardia would have been disastrous.
Many people celebrate this story. The courage, skill and creative thinking exhibited by the pilots in such a high stress situation was so striking that it was made into a film ‘The Miracle on the Hudson’ which was an international box office success.
But that was 16 years ago. Is there any possibility that developments in AI could soon make this kind of story sound like ancient history? We asked Google and Chat GPT if AI could have landed the plane on the Hudson as Sullenberger did. The answers we got were illuminating.
The consensus was that this event was a triumph of human intuition, experience and judgement, and whilst AI was advancing, it was difficult to imagine artificially intelligent systems replicating the nuanced decision making required in such high stress, complex and critical situations anytime soon.
An AI system trained on airport landings would not consider the Hudson as a likely landing strip. A former US Air Force and glider pilot did.
This story makes us think more generally about the future of work and the role AI might play in replacing humans.
Many pundits are of the view that AI will end up taking over nearly all jobs as ‘cost effective problem solvers’ and that we humans will have a limited time span in terms of our contribution to the workplace. We are not convinced of this argument.
Let’s take large language models as an example. These add value through analysing vast amounts of data, searching the internet for the consensus view on complex topics, and looking at potential solutions through the lens of current ways of thinking. They focus on the past, searching the web for knowledge that already exists and summarising what is found.
Whilst the outcomes produced need to be treated with caution, the systems generally work well for sharing information about what is already known. They are being widely adopted.
Still, this approach has limitations when it comes to creative thinking in a fast-changing world. It is obvious that technology, geopolitics, societal norms and environmental considerations are changing at pace. Yet we have known for years from disclaimers in investment funds that ‘past performance is not a guide to future performance, nor a reliable indicator of future results.’
The risk is we end up with detailed debate about data and the best way of managing the past rather than focusing on the step changes needed to move us into the future.
This is where the human qualities of intuition, critical thinking and a capacity for empathy come into their own.
Radical innovation and change often comes from those who are relatively new to an area; from the younger generations; from those who think differently and feel things passionately; from those who understand the underlying issues; from people who exhibit courage, determination and resolve and from those who collaborate with like-minded others on issues of real importance.
AI can help, but not replace, the human quest for innovation, the key here is not to overplay its role. It is an augmenter and facilitator – but not a substitute – for creative human thought.
About the authors
Terri Morrissey and Dr Richard Plenty run ACI’s Human Resources training. They received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association in June 2022 for their leadership in advancing global psychology. Contact them at info@thisis.eu
Arrivals and Departures
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In the UK, Leeds Bradford Airport has appointed Declan Maguire as its new aviation director.
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