How to Play Glam Metal Accordion in an AI World!
Last week I attended the Scaling Businesses Across the Atlantic event in London. One of the panel discussions focused on AI—as many do these days.
Among all the talk of transformation, disruption and productivity, one point stood out. To quote Bill Boorman, the key is "keeping the human in the loop."
Yesterday I was flipped this picture, I burst out laughing! 😆 For those who know me, heavy metal and hard rock is an integral part of who I am - for those old enough to remember, glam metal met an untimely demise at the hands of grunge. Depending on your musical persuasion, which was either a cultural correction or a tragedy. Looking at this cover, I couldn't help wondering whether glam metal accordion might have saved the day! 😝🤘🎸🤘💥
But it also got me thinking about AI – about a fascinating article by futurist and innovator Sarah DaVanzo, I read last night…
AI can analyse every glam metal song ever recorded. It can generate lyrics, solos, album covers and a statistically perfect hair-metal anthem in seconds.
What it can't explain is why a human looked at heavy metal and an accordion and thought: "Let's put those together."
That's where Sarah's thinking hit home...
“Want an easy way to think about AI Foresight vs. Human Foresight? Use my metaphor of "scouts" and "pilots."
FORESIGHT tasks
best for AI: S.C.O.U.T.
🤖 AI acts as a scout, scanning vast terrains, processing massive data, and mapping out every possible path.
🤖 S - scan horizon
🤖 C - cluster trends
🤖 O - options of scenarios
🤖 U - unify forecasts
🤖 T - tally probabilities
FORESIGHT tasks
best for Humans: P.I.L.O.T.
🫀Humans act as pilot, in the cockpit, weighing risks, making final decisions, and steering the ship.
🫀 P - pose questions
🫀 I - interpret context
🫀 L - lead strategy
🫀O - open minds
🫀T - test assumptions…”
In real time we see the S.C.O.U.T and P.I.L.O.T. co-existing as:
As Co-Pilot.
This is where much of today's knowledge work is heading. Human and machine working together. AI drafts, analyses and suggests; humans challenge, refine, contextualise and create.
The second as Auto-Pilot.
That's where AI takes care of routine, repeatable tasks with minimal intervention. Reporting. Scheduling. Administration. The work nobody writes songs about.
The mistake many organisations make is racing straight to Auto-Pilot!
That's not transformation. That's delegation.
The real value still lies in curiosity, judgement and imagination.
AI is exceptional at recognising patterns. Humans are exceptional at creating meaning.
AI can predict the next note. Humans decide to play it on an accordion!
Inspired by Sarah DaVanzo's article on AI and leadership: https://lnkd.in/e3a8nAXC
Comments welcomed as always…
MC
