On praise inflation
On praise inflation
Millennials have long been accused of being a little sensitive; an accusation as old as the world itself one might say, nevertheless workplaces have adapted by introducing more supportive policies, softer feedback and greater consideration for how people feel.
I can see how AI may be about to double down on that trend.
Have you noticed how flattering AI assistants can be? Give one a reasonably good prompt and it responds as though you have just rewritten Shakespeare.
I recently refined a prompt through a few iterations, then passed it to another AI agent. It told me how great it was. Lovely, but what skill had I really demonstrated? I had learned how to use AI assistants effectively. This is useful, but it does not compare with the craft a poet, a professional writer or an editor practises every day.
This is what I mean by praise inflation.
When every mundane achievement receives enthusiastic validation, do we risk confusing fluency with the tool for mastery of the craft?
And what happens when that confidence meets the less forgiving judgement of an employer, client, audience or market?
AI may augment our abilities, but it may also augment our perception of those abilities.
Or perhaps I am just getting old?
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