Humanizing AI - Is AI Good or Evil? A Perspective on Humanizing Emerging Technology

In this post, Marc Chabot explores the opportunities and anxieties surrounding AI, as well as its potential for improving the customer experience industry.

May 10, 2023
10 min read
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Humanizing AI

Hi there! My name is Marc Chabot and I’m the Chief Revenue Officer at Zingtree, responsible for leading the go-to-market team.

I’m starting a discussion on a topic that sounds like an oxymoron: humanizing artificial intelligence. As someone who works in the AI field, I think it’s important to have open conversations about the exciting and worrisome parts of artificial intelligence. 

In this post, we will explore the opportunities and anxieties surrounding AI, as well as its potential for improving the customer experience industry. Whether you’re a business owner, customer service professional, or just interested in the latest AI trends, my hope is this post will provide valuable insights into the human side of artificial intelligence.

‍

The Polarity of AI: Opportunities vs. Anxieties

Artificial intelligence is a controversial topic. It brings both opportunities and anxieties. People wonder if it will help them do their jobs better, eliminate their jobs, or take them down a path they don't want to go.

Elon Musk has expressed concerns about the potential dangers of AI. He says AI poses an existential threat to humanity and has called for regulation of AI technology. 

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg has a more optimistic view of AI. He believes AI will help us solve many of the world's problems, like disease and climate change.

At its core, it comes down to one fundamental question: is AI good or evil?

‍

The Limitations of AI: Human Qualities it Cannot Replicate

There are things that AI cannot do. AI cannot be a human on stage. When a frustrated customer reaches out to your call center, AI can’t create human connections with your brand during those moments that matter.

AI can’t:

  • Make judgments
  • Build human relationships
  • Harness human creativity
  • Forge an agreement between humans
  • Believe in something
  • Demonstrate emotional intelligence, empathy, or love.

AI is not capable of fully comprehending or appreciating the human context, which includes cultural nuances, social cues, and personal history. These factors have a profound impact on human interactions and decision-making.

AI cannot replicate the creativity and innovation of the human mind. Although it can analyze data and make predictions, AI can’t generate completely new and original ideas without human input and creativity.

In certain fields, such as healthcare, AI simply cannot replace the human touch. Empathy, compassion, and human connection are essential for patient care and well-being. While it may be helpful in diagnosis and treatment, AI can’t replicate the value of genuine human care and connection.

AI can do a lot of things, but it seems like there is a lot of room for humans.

‍

The Benefits of AI: Augmenting Human Intelligence

Personally, I choose to view AI as an expression of progress. Just as the sled was replaced by the wheel, the horse by the automobile, and paper by the PC, AI represents an improvement in many of the tools we use to complete everyday tasks.

For example:

  • AI can help prepare a human to be on stage and augment them in the moments that matter
  • AI can help humans make better judgments by providing insights and recommendations based on data analysis that would be difficult or impossible for a human to do alone
  • AI can provide real-time insights and recommendations that can help contact center agents deliver a better customer experience and resolve issues more quickly and efficiently

AI can provide insights and recommendations that may help humans build better relationships. For example, through sentiment analysis. By analyzing customer emails, chat transcripts, or social media conversations, AI-powered sentiment analysis tools can identify the emotions and sentiments expressed by customers.

With these insights, you can understand customer satisfaction levels, identify potential pain points or areas of improvement, and tailor their responses accordingly. If sentiment analysis reveals that a customer is frustrated or dissatisfied, the AI system can recommend specific actions or suggestions to address the issue and improve the customer experience.

While AI can help, it's important to remember that building relationships for brands requires genuine human interaction and emotional intelligence expressed through your team, systems, and intent.

‍

AI can be a Powerful tool, but It can’t Replace Humans


AI can be a tool to support human efforts, but it can’t replace the unique qualities that humans possess. By understanding the limitations and potential of AI, we can work towards a future where humans and AI work together to achieve progress and positive change.

Stay Updated on the Latest Insights for Humanizing AI

If you found this post valuable, I encourage you to subscribe to the Zingtree blog for more insights on this topic. 

This is the first in a series of posts on this topic. In the next few posts, I’m diving deeper into the human qualities AI doesn’t possess and explore practical approaches to leverage AI in augmenting teams while reinforcing the human qualities brands need to build and foster relationships with our customers:

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Humanizing AI - Is AI Good or Evil? A Perspective on Humanizing Emerging Technology
Introduction
Chapters

Humanizing AI

Hi there! My name is Marc Chabot and I’m the Chief Revenue Officer at Zingtree, responsible for leading the go-to-market team.

I’m starting a discussion on a topic that sounds like an oxymoron: humanizing artificial intelligence. As someone who works in the AI field, I think it’s important to have open conversations about the exciting and worrisome parts of artificial intelligence. 

In this post, we will explore the opportunities and anxieties surrounding AI, as well as its potential for improving the customer experience industry. Whether you’re a business owner, customer service professional, or just interested in the latest AI trends, my hope is this post will provide valuable insights into the human side of artificial intelligence.

‍

The Polarity of AI: Opportunities vs. Anxieties

Artificial intelligence is a controversial topic. It brings both opportunities and anxieties. People wonder if it will help them do their jobs better, eliminate their jobs, or take them down a path they don't want to go.

Elon Musk has expressed concerns about the potential dangers of AI. He says AI poses an existential threat to humanity and has called for regulation of AI technology. 

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg has a more optimistic view of AI. He believes AI will help us solve many of the world's problems, like disease and climate change.

At its core, it comes down to one fundamental question: is AI good or evil?

‍

The Limitations of AI: Human Qualities it Cannot Replicate

There are things that AI cannot do. AI cannot be a human on stage. When a frustrated customer reaches out to your call center, AI can’t create human connections with your brand during those moments that matter.

AI can’t:

  • Make judgments
  • Build human relationships
  • Harness human creativity
  • Forge an agreement between humans
  • Believe in something
  • Demonstrate emotional intelligence, empathy, or love.

AI is not capable of fully comprehending or appreciating the human context, which includes cultural nuances, social cues, and personal history. These factors have a profound impact on human interactions and decision-making.

AI cannot replicate the creativity and innovation of the human mind. Although it can analyze data and make predictions, AI can’t generate completely new and original ideas without human input and creativity.

In certain fields, such as healthcare, AI simply cannot replace the human touch. Empathy, compassion, and human connection are essential for patient care and well-being. While it may be helpful in diagnosis and treatment, AI can’t replicate the value of genuine human care and connection.

AI can do a lot of things, but it seems like there is a lot of room for humans.

‍

The Benefits of AI: Augmenting Human Intelligence

Personally, I choose to view AI as an expression of progress. Just as the sled was replaced by the wheel, the horse by the automobile, and paper by the PC, AI represents an improvement in many of the tools we use to complete everyday tasks.

For example:

  • AI can help prepare a human to be on stage and augment them in the moments that matter
  • AI can help humans make better judgments by providing insights and recommendations based on data analysis that would be difficult or impossible for a human to do alone
  • AI can provide real-time insights and recommendations that can help contact center agents deliver a better customer experience and resolve issues more quickly and efficiently

AI can provide insights and recommendations that may help humans build better relationships. For example, through sentiment analysis. By analyzing customer emails, chat transcripts, or social media conversations, AI-powered sentiment analysis tools can identify the emotions and sentiments expressed by customers.

With these insights, you can understand customer satisfaction levels, identify potential pain points or areas of improvement, and tailor their responses accordingly. If sentiment analysis reveals that a customer is frustrated or dissatisfied, the AI system can recommend specific actions or suggestions to address the issue and improve the customer experience.

While AI can help, it's important to remember that building relationships for brands requires genuine human interaction and emotional intelligence expressed through your team, systems, and intent.

‍

AI can be a Powerful tool, but It can’t Replace Humans


AI can be a tool to support human efforts, but it can’t replace the unique qualities that humans possess. By understanding the limitations and potential of AI, we can work towards a future where humans and AI work together to achieve progress and positive change.

Stay Updated on the Latest Insights for Humanizing AI

If you found this post valuable, I encourage you to subscribe to the Zingtree blog for more insights on this topic. 

This is the first in a series of posts on this topic. In the next few posts, I’m diving deeper into the human qualities AI doesn’t possess and explore practical approaches to leverage AI in augmenting teams while reinforcing the human qualities brands need to build and foster relationships with our customers:

First chapter