Of Penguins, AI and future of human discernment

Discernment - the ability to judge well.

When Sam Altman of OpenAI fame visited in June last year, I had the opportunity to be in a room where a fireside chat was held with him (sans real fire). I recapped some key takeaways, but I keep coming back to the power of human creativity, curiosity and the future of discernment, seeing that it is increasingly getting harder to separate fact from fiction.

As AI continues its rapid advancement, there are certain skills that remain uniquely human and challenging for AI to replicate. Here are three key skills:

Creativity & Curiosity: Humans have a special gift for thinking creatively, coming up with original ideas, and solving problems in unique, out of the box ways. Creativity involves imagination, intuition, emotional intelligence, and lived experience, things that can be tricky for AI to imitate since it relies on data-driven patterns and algorithms. Being curious allows us to ask questions that may have not been asked before, to reach conclusions that we may have not previously.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Empathy means being able to understand and share the feelings of others. Emotional intelligence includes traits like self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, and empathy. These qualities facilitate effective communication, collaboration, and leadership, which are crucial in various interpersonal exchanges like counseling, negotiation, and team building. While AI can analyse data and simulate responses, it lacks true emotional understanding and empathy. However, it is getting better with time, and is increasingly being used to integrate with chat bots and says things like "I understand, I'm sorry to hear that, etc"

Critical Thinking and Judgment: Critical thinking involves analysing information, evaluating evidence, and making thoughtful decisions. It requires cognitive skills such as logic, reasoning, and problem-solving. Judgment entails making decisions based on context, values, and ethical considerations. Humans possess the ability to consider various factors, assess risks, and make nuanced judgments, skills that are vital in fields like law, medicine, and ethics. We can also challenge certain logic impasses. AI can handle vast amounts of data and carry out tasks based on set criteria, but it may struggle with uncertainty, context, and decisions based on values.

In today's world where AI-generated content can sometimes blur the lines between what's true and what's not, it's important to improve your discernment skills. This is especially important for vulnerable populations. Here are three key skills we can work on to help better distinguish between fact and fiction:

1. Critical Thinking & Curiosity (again): This skill involves questioning information rather than just taking it at face value. To develop critical thinking, try analysing the sources of information, the evidence provided, and the logic behind arguments. Ask yourself questions like:

Who wrote this?

What is their goal?

Are there any biases?

How do other reliable sources view the same information?

Thinking critically can prevent you from jumping to conclusions and help you make more informed decisions.

2. Media Literacy: Being media literate means being able to identify different types of media and understand the messages they convey. This skill is crucial when facing AI-generated content. Educate yourself on how media works, the common tactics used to spread misinformation, and how to fact-check. Knowing how to spot trustworthy sources from unreliable ones and recognising signs of manipulated content are key aspects of media literacy. For example, chat GPT overuses certain complex sentences and key signature words like tapestry, delve, lets etc

3. Analytical Skills: Analytical skills allow you to break down information into smaller parts to gain a better understanding. This involves looking at data, trends, and facts to unravel complex issues. Improving your analytical skills can involve practicing data interpretation, working on logic puzzles, and analysing different scenarios. Being analytical helps you evaluate evidence, spot patterns, and draw insights that may not be immediately evident.

As information continues to grow in complexity and reach, these skills are invaluable for decision-making, discernment, and more importantly, our sanity.

Ruhee Meghani (she/her) is the founder of Allied Collective, an inclusive facilitation agency helping organisations achieve their inclusion, training, and wellbeing goals.