Emotions of using AI
“Emotions of using AI” is the name of one of our workshops. To be clear: not Emotional AI but the emotions of me and you as users of AI tools.
Oriana and I often discuss trends and our personal experiences with AI tools—like most teams these days, I imagine! And in reflecting on the ups-and-downs, we took the lens of emotions to it and found a wealth of insights there. On invisible expectations, on enthusiasm and what dampens it, our learning curve etc.
More on possibilities for new conversations later. Today I wanted to share from a whitepaper from Teaming with AI, where the importance of tending to the emotional experience comes up. I was really glad to see that, and have pulled out mentions below.
https://www.teamingwith.ai/
The paper is great, I recommend a read if you're thinking seriously about how to incorporate AI in how your team works. I appreciated the breadth of perspectives as relevant to my design and research work.
Individuals experience a wide range of emotions from wonder and intrigue to skepticism and unease, influenced by media and prior experiences
Efficiency-driven narratives in particular may trigger excitement (I can save so much time) but also defensiveness (will AI take my job) or unease (will work become even more unsustainable)
Common responses include: immobilized by apprehension and overwhelmed by uncertainties VS jumping onto uncoordinated, short-term-focused endeavors VS feeling stuck risk-averse, efficient org environments
A dual challenge of mastering new tools but also understanding ethical implications. A team-centric learning approach helps transition from fear to familiarity.
AI’s tool landscape can be overwhelming, where FOMO feeds into a vicious circle that can lead to paralysis or avoidance. Even more risky is to get drawn into a “just trying it out” mode, which leads to early dismissal of its potential
Keep in mind that people have different appetites for trying new tools. Constantly bringing in new tools to try may lead to confusion and increased stress in the workplace.
LLMs may yield outcomes that are unanticipated, catching us off guard with what they are or are not able to do. This is different from traditional software which has a predefined set of behaviors. We are not yet familiar with these surprises / don’t really know how to handle them.
A reflective practice and workflow integration become more important than ever to combat information overload on the human brain.
What does a “serious playground” look like in your org? A safe place for learning, where curiosity and openness are welcome / needed.