AI and Spirit Halloween: A Scary Tale of Good Enough

Every year Spirit Halloween provides hope, dreams and opportunity to abandoned buildings and businesses... for 6 weeks... by supplying vaguely familiar and single use costumes and props that are slightly over-priced for what they are but cheap enough not to think about a purchase for parents and singles alike. Let's be honest. In this circumstance, the bar is set pretty low. Did it burst into flames while it was on the shelf? Does it actively do harm to me? Can I live with the rashes? Can this thing last like 4 hours, give or take? Is it "good enough'?

That last question, and its answer, is the cornerstone that built the nearly $2 billion Spirit Halloween empire (in the 6 weeks the 1500 stores are open, btw), so when it comes to alter-ego enablement, isn't the answer always, "Yes!"?

What if the film industry expanded well established franchises or created amazing new epics with the same mindset. They could spend $250 million on practical effects and costuming, or they could just dumpster dive in the back of Spirit Halloween stores on Nov 2 and get all that for the cost of renting a Uhaul. After all, this was all good enough for millions of people 2 days ago (data!) and it gets the job done for less (more data!). So, isn’t that good enough?

Clients and associates, past and present are clamoring to enable anything AI in their process, products and reports. They’re looking at the time and expense of traditional work vs the limited cost and quality of AI and asking, “Isn’t this good enough?”

In an environment of 15 second everything, economic pressure and seemingly constant downturn, where anyone can type 12 words and have a familiar feeling image or piece of music that they previously could never make, or conjure up a paper that they could never write in an instant, the allure of AI is clear, but for MANY of you reading this, the application and quality is not, but it still seems to be good enough and is that ok?

Honestly, sometimes good enough is fine (hi Spirit Halloween), but the thought of an entire society lulled into accepting good enough as a standard because of cost, speed, efficiency or a lack of careful understanding, is terrifying.

At scale this modality suppresses free thought, free expression, bold action, the freedom to be wrong and correct, the freedom to learn and break through, the freedom to disagree, the freedom to resolve, the desire to explore and innovate and the non-linear and sometimes painful movement that we tag as progress. But wielded correctly with excellence as a viable counterpoint option, the outcomes flip.

Ask yourself if you are falling for the good enough AI trap? Or, alternatively, how do you know when good enough is in fact good enough?

One simple exercise can shine a light on and level out this slippery good enough slope: Ask why until you truly find the why, move slowly to the how and finally get to the what. Don’t get hypnotized by shiny and new and just declare AI IS THE ANSWER! Instead take the time to do this exercise and move forward, and this is KEY, with the right partners and skillful artisans.

Why? Because AI is simply a tool (albeit a mind-bogglingly powerful one), and without the right plans (why) and the right hands (you + your trusted partners) it’s likely to do more harm than good in your organization. Don’t believe me? Grab a hammer and run into a room filled with people and just start swinging it around. Now, go to a construction site filled with professional carpenters with blueprints and watch them swing their hammers. Note and compare the outcomes.

AI is obviously very valuable. While I often don my tinfoil hat and hyperbolically decry "AI is a thief!," a more accurate description of my viewpoint would be, "it's an amazing apprentice," because it is still bound to learn from our past, created by careful thought, constant struggle, countless hours of hard work, breakthroughs, innovation and even our failures and shortcomings. It can do a lot of things, just not a lot of things right, and some day it may even get better than its teachers.

Honestly, AI seems magic because of the volume and speed at which it operates and outputs, but the underlying structure is 100% human at its core and it should intentionally remain that way.

AI IS incredible and the applications seem to be near boundless when pondered upon, but only in the hands of careful, thoughtful and talented humans will we be able to stop a slide towards a culture of convenience over quality and good enough over intentional craft and excellence. An outcome potentially accelerated by a rush towards AI fueled primarily by financial currents, a VERY powerful driver.

Here is my challenge when being awestruck by AI and overcome by the urge to use it at your organization:

Pause and remember who you are, what you are about, where you are, how you got there, who you got there with and where you want to go. Remember your why. Take a deep breath and examine the power of new AI tools at your disposal. Take a moment to consider who are those expert artisans that you know and trust and in whose hands this new tool can best be used. Who historically are your most trusted partners that will help you keep your why and get you through the possibly new how and what? Who can you collaborate with in this new space to learn and understand how AI will be used best for YOU?

Then move forward, carefully and patiently, into this amazing new space, during this amazing new era, with our amazing new tools and with your amazingly skilled and reliable partners. Win and repeat.*

*None of this was written with AI.

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