Why AI Only Works When You Already Know What You’re Doing
I’ve written a few times about how my father and brother-in-law have helped me with home improvement projects.
They both have so many tools; when we built the fence, my brother-in-law brought his auger, a two-person hand operated drill.
It’s an area where I’m nearly completely inept. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I can’t even really think properly about how to solve the problem at hand.
This becomes evident when I’m doing something and they offer advice on how to do it better. Even when I’m using the right tool, like an auger, I feel uncomfortable and generally require advice on how to use it properly.
I Know What I’m Good At
Contrast that with the things I’m an expert in:
- Building automations
- Writing code
- Creating online courses
These are things I can do well without assistive tools. So when I use assistive tools, like AI, to help me with them, it feels almost too easy.
Because I’ve put hours into becoming a master of these things.
- I make automations on a whim to see if I can.
- I’ve written code for 20+ years.
- There was a time when I was creating a LinkedIn Learning course every 6 weeks.
When you understand the process deeply, you know how to use the tool to help you do it better.
I’m working on a LinkedIn Learning course that’s essentially about vibe coding (working with Generative AI to describe what you’re trying to build, and then having AI write the code for it).
We’re using AI through the entire process, from planning to testing.
And I’m really churning through the scripts. It feels almost too easy.
But it’s because I already have the skill. I know what looks good and what looks bad.
Much like my in-laws know how to build a fence and can do it correctly without assistive tools, I’m using AI to make doing the right job easier.
Everyone is Asking if AI is Coming for Us
There’s been a lot of fodder lately on social media on who AI is coming to replace. It seems everyone has a hot take on whether AI can replace humans, or that it will.
Perhaps this is mine. But we’re already getting sick of the AI comments. The AI pitches.
The people who on December 1st, 2022, claimed they were prompt engineers and AI experts.
Like everything in life, we need to find balance. You can’t use AI to replace a job well done. But you should also ignore AI at your own peril.
I can’t tell you what’s best for you. But I can tell you that for me, AI helps me be chained to my desk less. It helps me do what I already do well faster.