Autonomy in the Age of AI
Navigating the use of Artificial Intelligence with more intention.
Art by Pancho Peskador
Image Description: A coyote walks along a street and leaves a trail of tracks with sprouting plants and mushrooms.
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly embedded in our everyday lives. It’s recently been described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, impacting the workforce in ways we still don’t fully understand. In the social sector, search engines default to using AI, software encourages AI meeting summaries, and it now powers add-ons in our writing tools. In our daily lives, it is used to generate social media posts and images, to populate Spotify suggested playlists, or to enable predictive typing on our phones.
This past year, I’ve observed organizations reflexively adopting AI in hopes of increasing efficiency. Others are using it haphazardly, with staff experimenting across the organization with little to no discussion about when it is appropriate, how to mitigate risks, or where its use does not align with the organization’s values. Recently, some consulting firms have seized the opportunity to sell AI-ready tools in daily operations.
Before jumping on the AI bandwagon, I invite those of us committed to working with low-income and systemically marginalized communities to define our organization’s approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) before it is defined for us. We need to step back and pause long enough to understand AI enough to answer strategic questions.
What is the impact of AI on our communities?
Does its use align with our values and organizational needs?
What should remain human-led in our organizations?
What data should never be entered into AI tools?
What are we willing to use AI for, and what are we not willing to use it for?
Retaining autonomy in the age of AI means making intentional choices: using technology when it aligns with our values, mission, and community. We can’t let convenience become the only measure of whether something is worth using.
There are myriad issues to consider. Click on the link here to access our Leader’s Guide to Retaining Autonomy in the Age of AI.