When Was the Last Time You Got Off the Highway to Explore a Local Exit?

Back in my day,? if you wanted information, you had to look it up…meaning work for it.? And looking it up was a quest—a detective's journey. You might start with the Encyclopedia (Britannica or World Book)—and then go to the library. You might write a letter or two to sources you uncovered or interview someone…I loved it. I still do. It's the discovery outcome...the new paths you might unearth…and the learning.

The basics and the outcome are still the same...it's the journey that has changed. We might begin with Wikipedia like I once started with Britannica... to get a thesis rolling or get some queries lined up, or more and more with ChatBotAI or similar…and then...the new Magic happens.?

We type a question into a computer field, and an AI answer (right/wrong; on-target/off) and/or a list of possible sources pops up (if you just searched) in an order determined by others like you, looking for the same or similar information and sometimes, simply, by those paying more to have you see their POV—relevant or not. Sometimes, the text or list is spot on. It has all that we hoped for, all that we could ever hope to look for, and all that we could imagine on the subject..

Sometimes, though, we don't hit the jackpot on the first button press; thus, we are challenged to think creatively and often "far out to sea"…if you will….to tease what we really want from the acres of servers that are churning away 24/7, comparing searches, comparing users, and matching information with questions. And then, on the second, third, or fourth try, we hit and pay dirt. All is well! Or not…causing frustration, and we begin the process again.

A sidebar to all of this is the surrounding environment on the search page, which is covered by paid advertising (soon enough on Chat) from people who hopeyour search will benefit them, too—although they like to think that it benefits you. For example, if you search for yourself, you might be astounded to find that you or your belongings are for sale on eBay!

Let's go back to the topic of "how it used to be" if you were looking for information. What did we do before computer searches? Before AI? How did we find information, research, investigate, examine, and explore?

How dull and uninformed were we?

I believe that we often gleaned important insights from our more manual searches…insight...that we seem to lack today.

We were forced to talk to people.?

We looked to the original sources.?

We listened—live.

We had tactile, hands-on texture to our inquiries.

We experienced the search firsthand—its failures and successes and, most excitingly, that "Eureka" moment that came every once in a while when a new line of thinking opened before us because of a chance discovery and an exciting synapse jump.

This is not to say the same can't happen via the computer...it can. You just have to work a little harder to hit that "Eureka."

My fear is that we will become complacent because we think we have all the answers in the cloud…and we will get more complacent with AI. What would happen if we don't go the extra human mile to get real deep, impactful, and paradigm-changing insight?

I always look for market signs…the portents of old….to help me understand behavior. Over the past few years, there has been a significant movement to return to live operator service support….even in all digital web businesses. Why? My sense is because businesses were losing touch with their customers. They needed the Eureka moment of connection that transcended the targeting, re-targeting, and re-re-targeting that we have become accustomed to.?

My sense is that by traveling what began as the Information Highway (now called Digital channels), we can easily miss the exits and lose the value of local sightseeing.

Starting an AI-fueled chat about a problem is never like talking the issue out…teasing out the real problem, and maybe (just maybe) being able to solve it on the spot.

Dear readers...occasionally, we need to get off the Autobahn and the Motorways to find the right (or at least interesting) exits and explore.

Here is my inspiration from one of the great road travelers of the last century:

“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.” —Charles Kuralt

I implore you...don't miss the local exits!!! Don't lose out on the beauty of a detour or two. Who knows what you might find?

You can still drive the Porsche…AI, if you will…but do pull over every once in a while.

What do you think?