I’m following a number of the LinkedIn conversations that focus on the growing uses of Artificial Intelligence, with much interest. And I’m smiling. Why ? Because I can see that AI could actually cause an elevation in the perceived value of real human beings. How so ? Read on…

When synthetic diamonds and coloured gems became a commercialised product, the staunch “traditional jewellers” feared the worst, and predicted that these artificial diamonds would taint the reputation of jewellery products generally and lead to an escalation in distrust in the minds of end customers that their local jeweller would deviously represent fine jewellery as containing “real diamonds”, when in fact synthetic diamonds had been used instead. 

The greatest fear of all was that synthetic gems would devalue jewellery in an overall sense, given the price differential between a “real (authentic) precious gem” and an artificial gem. As it eventuated, the jewellery industry had nothing to be anxious about, and to this day both “real precious gems” and “artificial gems” feature in all sorts of jewellery designs throughout the world.

How could a “pure state” (genuine) product live alongside a man-made product in relative harmony you ask ? Because through a combination of regulation, certification programmes and general sense of morality, very few claims have been made by these creators in marketing channels that their products are for example “real diamonds”, or “real sapphires”, etc. And this has meant that “real precious gems” have been able to command significantly higher price points compared to their artificial counterparts…for the reason that they are/ remain the genuine article.

So how does the above examination of “real” versus “fake (AI)” products transfer to the use of AI overall ? Like this…

Human beings are the “real precious gems”, and AI represents the “artificial gems”. Whilst AI seemingly will be able to substitute for a human being in respect of a diverse range of functions/ activities and achieve certain economic benefits (e.g. reduced operating costs) as a consequence, the value of real people (real precious gems) will be preserved – if not increase – where the value proposition as a whole of real people exceeds that of AI.

And it is foreseeable that these will be the dimensions along which real people will defeat (represent a higher/ greater value proposition than) AI every time:

i. Ability to relate to people.

iii. Emotional intelligence – particularly the ability to “read emotion”.

iii. Ability to build and foster constructive trust-laden relationships.

iv. Use of intuition to make decisions/ act – and incorporate morality (quest to “do the right thing”) into such decisions/ acts.

v. Ability to be kind, care and love.

vi. Ability to understand a fellow human being (empathy).

vii. Stimuli processing speed.

viii. Ability to apply commonsense (when legal parameters permit such application – ha ha !).

ix. Ability to make decisions which balance “rational logic” with “emotion”.

x. Imagination.

xi. Original/ customised responses (unique value delivery).

xii. Ability to accumulate and apply “wisdom” – as opposed to “logic” (facts/ figures).

 

These USP’s (Unique Selling Propositions) should serve to differentiate the human value proposition from that of AI products/ applications far into the future; providing that people keep developing these skills and values, and are not tempted to subrogate them to some AI platform/ product.

Those people who are prepared to keep honing their skills along the above dimensions will continue to be regarded by society as “real precious gems” – and their services will remain in demand. The perceived and real (e.g. financial) value of these people is likely to increase.Whereas those who choose not to evolve themselves along the above dimensions will arguably be seen by many as having limited value – and a level of value that can perhaps even be readily substituted by AI.