Growing Pains in the Coming-up of AI Chatbots

Here’s a crystal clear example of one unexpected way rapid digital change can disrupt homeostasis: in their November 2023 New York Times article, Cade Metz writes about a new problem with Chatbots: they lie. Maybe not on purpose - not deceitfully at least - but a part of the growing pains accompanying new technologies is that we discover challenges as they arise for the first time, which can create sticky and uncomfortable situations for real people, in the real world. And, as AI becomes increasingly prevalent across markets, the ripple effect of its use (and challenges) remains largely unknown; and, the negative - and positive - implications are still emerging. 

Because change happens so quickly in today’s digital world, we dive headfirst into a new, exciting technology only to find that there are myriad bugs, challenges, and unexpected implications, requiring us to course correct as we go, because we couldn’t anticipate them ahead of their existence. That’s just a part of the process now. One we can plan to encounter; even when we can’t plan for the actual circumstance itself, we can be ready for disruption, no matter how it looks, so we can adapt and flow with its coming obstacles.

This isn’t all bad. Of course, relying on lying Chatbots in professional settings with high stakes (think in the healthcare field) is bad. But, we can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Chatbots are not inherently bad or dangerous. But, we’ve learned something important in the growing pains stage: as the growth of Chatbot use seeps into professional settings, we must be wary of its accuracy, where and how it is used, and deploy systems to check for and correct errors as they arise. 

AI & Chatbot use in the professional world carries with it a need for new systems and infrastructure to ensure its safe and effective use. Our team helps organizations navigate exactly these challenges - learn more!