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“AI-Washing”
As I sat in today’s presentation, it dawned on me …. AI-washing is real.
AI has become the defining technology of our time and it is being heralded as a game-changer across industries. However, just as “green-washing” taught us to question the sincerity of sustainability claims, we must also be vigilant against “AI-washing” — the practice of companies overstating or misrepresenting the capabilities of their AI to appear cutting-edge or innovative.
AI is undeniably transformative as it can analyze vast datasets in seconds, write convincing prose, and even assist in diagnosing diseases with remarkable precision. But, as anyone who uses AI extensively knows, AI is far from perfect.
The most striking limitation of AI is its propensity to hallucinate. This is the generation of outputs that are plausible but entirely false. For instance, a generative AI tool can produce a detailed biography of a person, complete with specific dates and accomplishments, none of which are real. This isn’t a bug. It is a fundamental feature of how AI predicts text.
To avoid falling into the trap of AI-washing, as leaders, we must cultivate a discerning perspective on AI:
- Demanding Transparency: Companies touting AI solutions must clearly communicate the technology’s…
