Generative AI: The Mindset Gap That Will Determine Your Success
As generative AI dawns, a clear distinction will emerge between professionals and businesses: those harnessing this transformative technology to improve productivity and innovation and those who are lagging behind. The landscape for success is rapidly evolving and the deciding factor will be a generative AI mindset.
The question then is not if, but how we align ourselves with this wave of change. This is a big question that we should all think about. But the starting point for dealing with any change is usually to figure out how we need to change ourselves. For most of us, I think this means thinking about how we can adopt a generative AI mindset.
What exactly does this mean? How should we train ourselves to think, act and react if we want to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves?
It goes beyond SKILLSwhich undoubtedly constitute another essential piece of the puzzle, but which are more relevant to how we use technology. The mindset is more about being ready to identify opportunities and exploit them. So here I will try to define its fundamental characteristics and examine how anyone – not just those lucky enough to be born with these characteristics – can refine and master them.
What is the state of mind for generative AI?
If there is one fundamental belief that is at the heart of the Generative AI mindset, it is the understanding that Generative AI is a tool. It won’t do our job for us – we will use it to do our job more effectively. This won’t replace the need for human qualities like creativity and a desire to problem-solve, but it will significantly reduce the time we spend on the repetitive or technical aspects of our work so that we can spend more time on them.
Beyond that, this is the same mindset shift that has been adopted by those who have successfully leveraged other big changes in our lifetimes. The emergence of the Internet, for example. From Jeff Bezos who founded Amazon to Gen Z digital hustlers who are finding endless new ways to generate income from social media. They all possess, adopt or develop a set of core characteristics that mean they are not prevented from identifying opportunities by self-limiting beliefs, processes or behaviors.
The ideas behind mindset are closely related to the idea of organizational culture – which is also often a help or a hindrance to the successful adoption of AI. As author and head of AI strategy at Boomi Technology, Mike Bachman explains this post“The first thing to understand about fostering a culture of AI readiness is that it must start with a fundamental shift in mindset.”
So, what are these mindset qualities, how can we develop them if we have them, and – if we don’t have them – what can we do to develop them?
Qualities of the Generative AI Mindset
In my view, adopting a generative AI mindset requires a shift from traditional ways of thinking to a more adaptive, collaborative and forward-thinking approach.
Adaptability is key. It means being willing to step away from what we know, even if we think it works, in order to try something new. Even for an adaptive person, unfamiliarity is uncomfortable, but they will use it as an incentive to become familiar with anything new – a new tool, a new process, a skill, or even a new person.
Closely related to this is curiosity, which motivated all the great inventors and explorers. This can be perfected by training ourselves to ask questions whenever we are unsure of something. Sometimes we tend to settle for not understanding. how, WhyOr and if. Asking these questions and seeking answers about our environments, experiences, or processes allows us to identify areas where we can improve things. If you don’t understand how something works, there’s a chance it won’t work – and an opportunity to make an improvement!
It is also important to develop a continuous, ongoing approach to learning. Gone are the days when school and university prepared us for a lifelong career. Staying ahead today means constantly updating our skills and knowledge. Fortunately, the proliferation of free and affordable online courses and employers’ growing awareness of the need to upskill and reskill the workforce means that opportunities are often available.
Other factors include willingness to work collaboratively (with humans and machines), awareness of the ethical implications of generative AI, critical thinking skills, and willingness to problem-solve.
The geek mindset
Recently, I had the chance to read an advance version of the latest book by MIT senior fellow and head of the MIT Digital Economy Initiative, Andrew McAfee – The geek mindset.
McAffee’s definition of a geek is an “obsessive nonconformist” who is tenacious and not afraid to be unconventional. He defines what he calls “the geek way” as four characteristics: speed, ownership, science and openness.
Adopting this into their mindset allowed geeks to inherit the Earth. As McAfee told me in a recent interview, a third of all market capitalization gains made by U.S. companies as of 21st century were generated by companies in Northern California – more specifically, he refers to Silicon Valley, the home of geeks.
Speed is demonstrated by the ability of those who succeed in technology to iterate quickly – releasing minimum viable products, failing when necessary, and using the lessons learned to improve.
Ownership refers to the ability to ensure that everyone is responsible for their own work and achieves their own goals. Science means acting on the data – in accordance with what the evidence shows is the best direction to take. Openness is the ability to accept criticism or new ideas.
All of these qualities are closely related to what I consider the generative AI mindset, and again, these are learned traits. On top of that, they are all closely linked to the traits that make us successful humans – learning, critical thinking and collaboration – rather than technical or mechanical aptitude.
The right state of mind
As the examples cited above show, most of these qualities are ones that we use or do not use in our everyday lives, depending on the type of person we are.
But above all, these are all qualities that almost everyone can develop and perfect in our daily environment, as well as in our professional life.
Adaptability, curiosity, openness, willingness to collaborate, and problem-solving skills are human qualities we can spot in ourselves and others.
These are mainly skills that we hone through interacting and engaging with other people. In turn, I believe they will be of great use when it comes to defining our relationship with the new generation of intelligent machines and tools that are set to transform all sectors.