Over the Christmas / New Years break, and a subsequent 3rd week in Covid isolation at home, where I have watched way too many videos and read even more articles, some from people that seem to have a good understanding of what’s going on, and quite a few from people that have jumped on the band wagon to flog crap. I was starting to wonder about the proliferate of AI / LLM / ML (simplified to AI for this article, but refers to all smoke and mirrors hidden inside boxes most of us don’t understand) in our work and home lives, and what remain important:
Human Creativity and Innovation: While AI can optimize and automate processes, human creativity remains irreplaceable. Creative problem-solving, innovation, and the ability to think outside the box are uniquely human traits that AI cannot replicate.
Emotional Intelligence and Empathy: Emotional intelligence, including empathy, understanding, and the ability to connect with others on a personal level, is a distinctly human quality. AI can support decision-making but AI cannot replace the nuanced understanding that comes from human emotions and experiences.
Ethical Considerations and Moral Values: As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, ethical considerations and moral values become increasingly important. Humans must guide the development and implementation of AI to ensure it aligns with societal values and ethical standards.
Personal Relationships and Human Interaction: Personal relationships and face-to-face interactions are fundamental to human life. AI can facilitate communication but cannot replace the depth and quality of human relationships.
Critical Thinking and Decision Making: AI can provide data and suggestions, but critical thinking and decision-making remain human domains. The ability to interpret information contextually and make informed decisions is a critical human skill.
Cultural and Artistic Expression: Culture and arts are reflections of human society and emotions. While AI can mimic or reproduce art, the originality and emotional depth of human-created art are unique.
Learning and Adaptability: Humans have the incredible ability to learn, adapt, and grow from experiences. While AI can learn from data, AI cannot replicate the personal growth and adaptability that humans experience.
Privacy and Personal Space: As AI becomes more integrated into everyday life, the importance of privacy and personal space is heightened. Balancing technological advancement with respect for individual privacy is crucial.
Job Satisfaction and Purpose: Despite automation, job satisfaction and finding purpose in work remain important. Humans seek fulfillment and meaning in their careers, something that goes beyond the capabilities of AI.
Environmental Responsibility: With the rise of AI, humans must remain vigilant about environmental impacts. It’s essential to develop and use AI in ways that are sustainable and responsible.
It appears that AI is a thing! Today is the worst that these systems and technology will be. It will be up to us mere human to maintain our personal relationships, undertake critical thinking, continue our pursuit of cultural expression, meaning and understanding of the world around us, adapt to the changing environment (on many levels), be mindful of our own privacy, while respecting the boundaries of others, find meaning in our jobs, hobbies or calling, all while we continue our individual search for the meaning of life, which, to date, we have believed is 42!
“What all of us have to do is to make sure we are using AI in a way that is for the benefit of humanity, not to the detriment of humanity.”
It is said that 90% of a project managers time is spent communicating. As the global pandemic continues, communication has been, and remains to be, the key to managing the risks. We can take a range of preventative measures such as education, limiting travel, testing, isolation and hygiene, but these are generally inward-facing.
How do we manage the external issues and risks created by Covid-19?
How do we manage the supply chain risks?
The key, as with the rest of project management, is in communication. Asking the right questions and fully understanding the answers.
Where are components being manufactured/assembled? Where are the subsuppliers? Can we get it locally? Can the equipment be used (temporarily or at reduced capacity) without specific parts? What do we do if items/materials are delayed? What is the shipping route? How many transhipments/opportunities for delays? Are there alternatives routes? How do we keep up to date on the status of supply items?
These questions need to be asked all up and down the supply chain, and clear information needs to be provided to the project. It is not just the Project Manager or the expeditor responsible for this; suppliers and consultants need to fully understand their ecosystem to make informed decisions and provide timely information.
Throwing your hand in the air and blaming Covid for delays to materials, human resources and shipping may have been acceptable in the first few months. As we continue on this journey, clients will demand a firm strategy for how you will deliver.
The risk to the project is not the pandemic. This can’t be controlled. The risk is how this manifests itself in your project supply chain.
Clients work with suppliers who understand, monitor and properly communicate their new “Covid-normal” business model. This is a shared experience, and we all play an important part.
As I always say “Bad news is best given early”. The earlier you know about an issue, the more time you have to manage it.
Communicate – Communicate – Communicate
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
-Albert Einstein
