Have you ever watched a kid tell a story that sounds wild, but they're so convinced it's true? That's basically what happens with artificial intelligence right now.
You may have asked an AI to help you draft an important email. Instead of a straightforward response, it confidently explained that Abraham Lincoln (yes, the president in the tall hat) apparently invented the helicopter. You'd have to laugh, yes? But this isn't a glitch. This is how these systems work.
What's Happening Behind the Scenes
Think of AI as an incredibly fast student who's read every book in the library but doesn't understand what the books mean. It's collecting patterns, guessing what might come next, and not carefully checking if something is true.
When people say AI "hallucinates," they think they are being smart and justifying why AI should not be used. But they are really describing something fascinating. There is no bug; it is not trying to lie to you. It attempts to predict what makes sense based on all the information it has absorbed. Here's how it performs on different types of tasks:
- Writing computer code: Gets it right 90% of the time
- Solving math problems: Correct about 76% of the time
- Answering general knowledge questions: Accurate around 53% of the time
In other words, give it a precise, rule-based task, and it's brilliant. Ask it something open-ended, and things get... interesting.
Common Ways People Are Using This Technology
Smart business owners aren't running away from these quirks. They're finding creative ways to work with them:
- Breaking through writer's block by getting a rough first draft
- Generating meeting preparation notes
- Drafting the first version of process guidelines
- Brainstorming several fresh ideas when feeling stuck
The key is treating AI like a very enthusiastic but sometimes unreliable assistant. You wouldn't hand over a critical project to an eager intern without reviewing their work, right? The same principle applies here.
The Real Skill: Understanding What Tools Can and Can't Do
We learn to appreciate our friends' quirks and strengths, right? Well, you should think of AI in this same way. The real skill is learning what it can and can't reliably do. If a friend who loves reading occasionally forgets a detail, you'd just adjust your expectations. With AI, we need to be just as understanding and recognize its potential and limitations as we learn to work together.
Your Invitation to Play
This week, find one repetitive task that drives you crazy. Something that feels like mental quicksand. Try using AI to help, but stay curious and playful.
I suspect that some moments will make you laugh. Expect some moments that might frustrate you. But most of all, expect to learn something new about how technology is changing. Because right now, working with AI is like having a conversation with the most well-read, slightly confused friend you've ever met.
Always, always double-check what it tells you. Unless you're genuinely interested in presidential helicopter inventors.
