From a LinkedIn post I made...
My AI post yesterday blew up, in no small part because some folks didn't like what I had to say, or at least, didn't agree with it. That's cool, I enjoy some spirited debates. I stand by my statement that there isn't serious academic research about efficiencies gained, and no one really provided any. AI is very exciting, and a game changer, absolutely, but I don't think it's in the ways people claim. To be continued, certainly.
What I find fascinating about the discussion is how so many people are confident that their position is correct. Everyone has "AI" in their LinkedIn title (some funnier than others, wink), but who is really an expert? Two years ago, it was largely a novelty, according to surveys, and now everyone uses but doesn't entirely trust it, in the same surveys. Expertise, to me, means you've been doing something for many years, and as such, AI is the new blockchain. Remember when everyone had that in their profile title?
Putting aside AI for the moment, and seeing as how this is a social network for professional development and employment, I think it's important to consider how you present yourself. While expressing confidence and demonstrating knowledge is essential, it's equally important to show curiosity and humility. It's the difference between being curious and being an alpha dev.
A lack of curiosity, or even a sense of wonder, is to me an essential part of maturing, at any age. Culturally and politically, it seems like a lot of people lack curiosity, and that hasn't been good for society. A Google search combined with selection bias is not curiosity. It's certainly not critical thinking. When we double-down with certainty in the face of new information (or avoid the information entirely), we cease to be curious.
In software engineering terms, this manifests itself as the classic alpha dev. For these folks, it's not just important to be right, it's important to assert your correctness over others, and maybe even belittle them. Nobody likes those people, and we've all worked with them.
I admit that I can fall into this pattern, to an extent, but where I hope that I'm different is that I'm arguing for nuance. I am immediately skeptical of anyone who believes that they have The One Right Thing in any situation. People, companies, circumstances are different. Leadership involves understanding the nuance and tailoring the process to the scenario. One size rarely fits all.
So be curious, consider new information, and above all, leave room for nuance. To achieve the outcomes that you're after, be ready to accept that you may have been after the wrong outcomes.
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