AI Isn't Perfect. That's OK.
Mordy Golding
Helping humans leverage AI | Full Stack Product Leader | Ex-LinkedIn, Adobe | Founder | Advisor | Author
I recently posted a video where I asked Gemini in Google's AI Studio to act as a tutor while I turned a sketch I drew on paper into a logo in Adobe Illustrator. I wasn't trying to replace the need for a teacher—I was curious to see how AI might help someone accomplish a task.
The demo was mind-blowing, and while many responded with wonder and amazement, there were plenty of comments about how "the AI wasn't able to do this" or "you took the conversation in a certain direction" or "this still can't replace human teachers".
The reactions felt familiar. Back in 2010, when Adobe first added Content-Aware Fill to Photoshop, you could select something you wanted to remove from a photo, press a button, and poof! The unwanted object would disappear, replaced by a surprisingly good guess of what should be there instead. But so many focused on the fact that the results weren't perfect, there were visible artifacts, or that "a skilled retoucher could do better."?
It seems like every time new technology is introduced, there’s this negative approach. Why do we focus so much on what it CAN'T do, instead of exploring what it CAN do?
Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy, PhD talk about this exact mindset in The Gap and The Gain. They explain how we often get stuck measuring against an ideal rather than appreciating progress from our starting point. Sound familiar? It's exactly what's happening with AI tools today. We focus on what they can't do perfectly instead of recognizing how far we've come.
Carol Dweck hits on this too in Mindset when she talks about how our attitude toward challenges shapes our growth. Some people see imperfection as proof of limitation. Others see it as a starting point for improvement. Think about it. When you approach AI with a growth mindset, you keep pushing to see "what else can it do"? But if you approach it with a fixed mindset, after proving to yourself it isn't perfect, you discard it, thinking it's just a cute toy.?
I love how Ozan Varol puts this in perspective in Think Like a Rocket Scientist when he talks about breakthrough innovations. The Wright brothers' first flight lasted just 12 seconds—barely long enough for a TikTok video! But they focused on the gain of achieving powered flight rather than the gap to their ultimate vision of transcontinental travel.
领英推荐
The goal of my video wasn't to judge how good of a tutor the AI was. The goal was to explore if it could do the kinds of things a tutor or coach might do—help me perform a specific task, guide me along, and interact with me, giving feedback as I go.
So here's what I'm thinking: instead of fixating on what AI gets wrong, what if we got curious about how to work with it effectively? What if we spent less time complaining about its limitations and more time exploring its possibilities?
No one's saying we should ignore AI's current shortcomings. But maybe, just maybe, our mindset toward it—focusing on gains rather than gaps—will determine how much value we actually get from it.
Next time you're working with AI, instead of asking "can it do everything I can?", try asking "what can this help me accomplish today?" You might be surprised by how shifting your focus changes not just your perspective, but your results too.
Books referenced in this edition:
Liked this article? Subscribe and discover more!
Read. Learn. Share. is Curated Curiosity.? I regularly share quotes with brief commentary on LinkedIn from things I read, watch, and learn. This series takes us on a journey that goes deeper on top-of-mind topics and themes.
Sr. Creative AI Evangelist & Community Advocate - Adobe
1 周Great!
CMO & Business School Professor | 2x Author, TEDx Speaker | PwC & McCann Alum
2 周Mordy, great read and topic. Being optimistic with a “what can it do” attitude is the right catalyst for getting results— and more reasons for optimism.
Adobe Sr Learn Category Lead & Photoshop Prerelease Lead
2 周Right on.
So far, I’ve helped 726 overthinkers, busy leaders & job seekers ① communicate better ② earn promotions ③ crush self-doubt & ④ land great jobs ? Anti-Burnout Career Coach ? Executive Leadership & Communication Coach
2 周Hmm, as a megafan of your work, Mordy, I would actually posit that in this case the majority of people were indeed WOWed ?? by the AI video, and out of that MAJORITY, a vocal minority liked and commented on the video, and another equally vocal minority kvetched and pointed out the lack of/the shortcomings of today’s AI. And the silent MAJORITY just doomscrolled along, momentarily impressed but not bothering to engage with your thought-provoking content or else so jaded that they didn’t bother to pause, reflect, and watch the interesting albeit short video at all. I’m often surprised how the most vocal reactions are not always representative of how most people act or feel. For example, one of my friends thought that my most recent edition of my monthly newsletter meant I was surely hacked, because the subject line was “You are trash & I can control you.” It’s a short skim: https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=5ab75b0d80b7b8ab951371690&id=9f48198c6c Continue doing your thing and sharing your love of tech. Many of us appreciate it and share in your nerddom ????. I know that we’re evolved to be sensitive to the outliers (the skeptics, the haters, the trolls), but the less time you focus on them, the better off you’ll/we’ll be.