Making a mistake is a universal experience, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow when it’s happening to you.
Google’s new AI generative chatbot, Bard, famously responded incorrectly during a highly publicized demo and Google’s stock immediately plummeted $100 billion.
I’m not sure what’s more shocking. That a mistake cost the tech giant $100 billion dollars in the matter of minutes or that billions are being discussed like they are millions.
There’s been a lot of talk lately about generative AI and what it means for the future of workers, especially content creators.
As someone who has worked in professional communications for almost fifteen years and writes creatively, I’ve been paying attention to the advancements in AI technology because content is my world. I make it, I consume it. It’s what drives me.
That said, advancements in generative AI doesn’t scare me. While it may seem a little like science fiction at times, I don’t think AI is coming for us anytime soon. Maybe one day, but not now. I’ve also been experimenting with AI to find ways to use it. I’ll share some strategies for using chatGPT in another post.
Bard was clearly not ready to be demoed publicly like this. Yet because of the pressures of the market and the race to dominate the lucrative AI field, it was. And its failure was a big deal. A leaked email from Google’s Sundar Pichai reveals the CEO is directing staff to test and rewrite answers on topics they understand. Basically, they need to know their content is sound before further implementation and they need people to do that.
What I find most interesting about the Bard incident is not what it tells us about the cutthroat tech industry but what it reminds me about making mistakes and how those mistakes can help you grow as a professional, no matter your field.
- Mistakes Give Us Time to Regroup
It’s easy to feel excited about a project that you just finished and think is done. In the case of what we saw with Google’s Bard, there are big pressures in tech to master AI to be seen as a leader.
If you’ve put something out there too early, take the time to regroup afterward to see where you can improve.
In Stephen King’s memoir On Writing, he gives the advice to put the finished manuscript draft away to let it sit. Put it in a drawer. However, with time away from the writing, it’s easy to see that more time is needed to make the story better.
- Mistakes Happen To Everyone
When you’re at the centre of what feels like a big mistake, it can feel daunting and intimidating. I know I’ve made mistakes that have given me serious pause to consider giving up altogether and starting fresh on something entirely new.
It’s well known in the professional world that people mostly share their achievements. We share what we are proud of and not necessarily the details about how things along the way went wrong. Unless, of course, we are talking about LinkedIn cringe where past mistakes make the perfect fodder for a post about coming of age in a career.
While most people won’t write about their mistakes or even talk about them, it’s a universal fact that everyone makes mistakes. So take comfort in that.
- Mistakes are signs of progress (yes they are!)
If you are on a path toward an ambitious goal and you make a mistake that sets you back,
If you write a book, or instance, and you’re having trouble finding a publisher who will take it on, take a moment to reflect on the fact that you set out to write a book and you have something to submit. This is a huge achievement, and remember, it only takes one yes.
