"Expertise Erosion" from Over-Reliance on AI

"Expertise Erosion" from Over-Reliance on AI(theconversation.com)

5 points by kmote00 2 years ago | 4 comments

I was thinking just the other day that I become more and more dependent on GitHub copilot autocomplete. I feel that I am losing some skills but skip writing some tedious parts of the code is too nice to discard.

kmote00 2 years ago |

What happens when we outsource boring but important work to AI? Research shows we forget how to do it ourselves

tivert 2 years ago | |

> What happens when we outsource boring but important work to AI? Research shows we forget how to do it ourselves

Cue some sanguine response about how the problem is not actually a problem and something about buggy whips.

I think the article raises an important point, but is otherwise not great. It suggests continuing to relying on automation but "paying attention" while you use it. I think that's a pretty bad, suggestion actually.

I think the key to keeping ones skills up is to consciously reject automation, some significant fraction of the time. E.g. choose yourself to do 5% of your "fixed-asset accounting reports" manually, or force your subordinates to do so. Drive with the GPS off half the time.

kmote00 2 years ago | | |

I agree that the article's suggestions are inadequate, but I think the concern that was raised is significant and real. One of the reasons I posted it here is because I'd love to gather more suggestions from this community about how to address this danger. Just being aware of it is a start, but your suggestion of periodic automation-fasts is a good one too.

I borrowed a car recently that didn't have the automated security features that I am accustomed to (blind-spot monitor, etc), and it was a great reminder to refresh my skills.