Generative AI ain't the solution to business communication dysfunction
Business communication is broken.
We spend so much time talking and writing (emails, text messages, Slack and Teams, etc.) but we don't really communicate; we don't transfer information.
How do we solve this? Through tech?
We've kind of tried that.
First, we revolutionized written communication with email, by removing the friction of wait times with instant delivery. Then, when email inboxes got clogged up, we rolled out instant messengers for the workplace, such as Slack and Teams.
The good news: Our email inboxes had fewer messages.
The bad news: Now we have another communication tool to manage and lose track of information in.
What about institutional knowledge and knowledge transfer? No problem, we have knowledge management tools like Confluence to help out.
But wait, there's more!
If the prophets of AI have their way, soon human-written communication will be obsolete because you'll be able to lean on generative AI tools like large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT to articulate just what you need with wordy and meandering walls of text no one wants to read. All that's required of you is to write the perfect prompt that lays out exactly what you want.
With the help of AI, we can outsource sincerity!
That last point brings me back to the theme of this post: We suck at communication. And I don't think technology holds the key to solving our communication woes.
Is it crazy to think that maybe the problem is more basic? What if the best time to solve business communication headaches was 20, 30, 40, maybe even 50 years ago—when today's office workers started school?
The secret is out: school doesn't teach students how to think or solve problems so much as it teaches students how to pass standardized tests.
NOTE: I don't blame teachers for the failings of the education system. Metrics such as test scores are used as metaphorical guns to their heads. ðŸ˜ðŸ”« Teachers don't create the curricula; they merely execute the plan.
When it comes to writing for school, word count is emphasized more than efficiently making a coherent point.
Checking every box (the aforementioned word count, and margins and font size) is far more important than effectiveness.
But, dear reader, have no fear—generative AI is here!
There's just one problem: Generative AI was trained on the shitty writing we're all churning out on a daily basis. Sure, generative AI is technically a competent writer. But it ain't all that great if you know anything about writing beyond the alphabet.
If only we'd let our education system teach kids to think critically so that they'll grow into critically-thinking adults. Then they could write their own emails that get the job done.
The other day, I got a beautiful email at my day job. You know what was so great about it? It was concise yet thorough. It told me exactly what I needed and nothing more. (I should frame that email and hang it on my wall, because such rarities are truly works of art in the 21st century.)
Communication is hard. But it's a fundamental part of the human experience. Your word choice and your style are some of the simplest things that make you the human you are.
We don't need more AI. We need more human voices. We need to teach other people how to develop their own voices.
Say no to slop. Say yes to communication that matters.
#writing #business #ai #generativeai
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