Shift From Knowledge to Wisdom
Author: Jurgen Appelo
From navigation systems to large language models, AI is here to stay. However, the rise of AI casts shadows over many jobs where most of the work revolves around information collection and knowledge distribution.
It’s fascinating to see how the evolution of automation has shifted our dependence. First, we utilized machines for data, then we used them for storing information, and now, the next step is the gathering of knowledge. JP Morgan is purportedly exploring AI to replace financial advisors. We can wonder which other roles will be absorbed by LLMs next. Agile consultants?
The growing influence of AI provokes thoughts on the roles left for humans to play. After data, information, and knowledge, the last step on the ladder remaining to us is wisdom.
With AI serving inquiries instantaneously, there is little need to store extensive knowledge in our brains anymore. The need to use our minds as knowledge repositories has been significantly mitigated, paving the way for humans to focus on accumulating wisdom through diverse experiences and interactions with the world.
“Machines collapse the hierarchy so that humans can ascend it. [...] Only together, humans and intelligent machines working collaboratively, can we bring the insights available from our data into the realm of wisdom that guides value creation and decision-making.”
— “The Wisdom Hierarchy,” Adam Michael Wood
The conversation gets deeper when we delve into the moral aspects of decision-making. AI, with all its advanced capabilities, lacks conscience and ethical sense. It cannot mirror the human decision-making ability steeped in moral considerations and value judgments.
While AI can supply us with boundless knowledge, human wisdom, and morality will delineate the boundaries of AI’s role in our lives. The essence of the human experience, our ability to innovate with purpose, and the ethical considerations we uphold in decision-making processes underscore the significance of human involvement in an AI-driven world.
Learn more: Behavioral Values, Collaboration Moments, Human Drives, Meaning and Purpose
