During the primary election in January of this year, Democratic voters all over the state of New Hampshire received a call from President Joe Biden tell them to "stay at home" and "not vote" in this primary election.
Voters were puzzled and a quick investigation from the Attorney General's office revealed it was in fact an A.I. tool impersonating the President in an act of voter suppression.
The world is changing fast and it's hard to know who to trust, especially when it comes to critical matters in our lives, like who to vote for, what career to pursue, or who to marry. I use these examples because I am fortunate to have had meaningful conversations with mentors in each of those three areas that ultimately impacted the decisions I made.
When it comes to deciding whether or not we should trust someone for advice or guidance in life, there are three things we should consider about that person: care, credibility, and familiarity.
Care - Do they want what's best for you?
Credibility - Do they have relevant expertise to provide guidance?
Familiarity - Do they know you well enough?
If a person has one of these three traits they will be able to give you some advice, but with all three you can be certain it is good advice.
Adam Grant describes the relationship between these traits in his book Hidden Potential using the following Venn Diagram:
Our world is relying on more and more or robots to provide us the wisdom we seek. While robots may be efficient and possibly even credible, it's impossible for them to know or care about you.
To ensure we receive the best wisdom for our lives, let's find coaches and mentors that are credible, familiar, and care.
Fact
A survey of 1000 college students found that 60% use AI to complete at least half of their work.
Action
Next time you are in need of advice, make a list of people that care about you and ask one of them instead of the internet.
Question
When giving advice to people, do you consider what you wish you knew or what is in their best interest?
Quote
"Progress hinges on the quality of information we take in."