In this issue, we dig into the question of how AI affects expertise and skills: how AI affects mastering a complex field like coding, preserving human expertise in the age of AI, and a conversation with Matt Beane about his book, The Skill Code.
AI's impact on skill development: Balancing productivity gains with long-term expertise. Explore how AI changes apprenticeships, challenges traditional learning, and affects industries. Learn strategies to integrate AI while preserving crucial human skills and mentorship.
A conversation with UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor Matt Beane about his book "The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines."
People always get excited about AI advances and this one is accessible in a way that others weren’t in the past.
People can use natural language to prompt a natural language response.
It’s seductive because it feels like synthesis.
And it can feel serendipitous.
But…
We need to remember that ChatGPT and all other generative AI are tools and they can fail us.
While it may feel serendipitous, that serendipity is more constrained than it may feel.
Some other ideas we cover:
The research at Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Apple gives us some context for evaluating how special ChatGPT actually is and what might be ahead.
The current craze about prompt engineering.
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Dave Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. He previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Apple, CRV, Macromedia, Morgan Stanley, and Quartz.
Helen Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. She previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Meridian Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric, Quartz, and Transpower.