Artificial intelligence and humanity can work in tandem

Do you know the difference between 650 characters versus 650 characters with spaces in writing an essay?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) didn’t.

Recently, a college essay prompt asked to write an essay in 650 characters (approximately 125 words). This was an odd requirement since essays typically require characters with spaces, accounting for each space between words.

To verify whether the requirement was with or without spaces, I did a Google search of the college’s name and its essay requirement. The first response was an AI summary: “the college’s supplemental essays have a character limit of 650 characters per response.” This corroborated the college’s application.

However, this AI response was inconsistent with my experience of essays requiring 650 characters with spaces (approximately 105 words). This prompt seemed to be an anomaly; it would allow writing nearly 20 percent more words, providing more detailed structure.

Putting critical thinking to the test, I copied 650 characters into the application box. Lo and behold, it cut off 20 percent of the essay.

This example shows the importance of mastering problem-solving skills to protect against the rising tide of AI. Last year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers surveyed 255 employers identifying three top “competencies” for today’s job candidates — communication, teamwork and critical thinking.

First, honing communication skills includes working with many personality types and professional expertise. Although AI can write computer code, check grammar and solve math equations, AI cannot go out to lunch with clients to explain a value-added service or form trust as a valuable partner.

This November, The Wall Street Journal published the story, “How Students Can AI-Proof Their Careers: Artificial intelligence is going to eliminate a lot of jobs in the future. It’s possible to reduce the risk that it will be yours.”

The article explains AI will replace some jobs, while others will be created because of AI. It highlights Goldman Sachs research predicting the share of U.S. employment in specific industries that are exposed to AI — administrative 46 percent, legal 44 percent, architecture and engineering 37 percent and physical and social science 36 percent.

For example, a new Hollywood movie studio, Promise, will primarily use generative AI to make storyboards, conceptualize scenes and create production software. Last year, the Screen Actors Guild went on strike in fear of this very type of AI reach. Yet, AI is happening anyway.

Job interviews probe how candidates use their communication skills in challenging situations. Examples to share include listening to internal discourse, proposing solutions and motivating others.

Second, teamwork can be fostered by avoiding being pegged as a one-dimensional thinker. Instead, choose a variety of academic and professional exposures to expand qualifications and responsibilities.

For example, AI is transforming into the fields of accounting and computer science. Having both technical skills and social-science capabilities, like sociology and English, can expand a person’s outlook and knowledge.

To push yourself out of your comfort zone, consider joining activities and clubs that stretch your social interactions and team dynamic experiences. For example, there are Women in Business clubs at Champlain Valley Union High and many colleges. The George Washington University club’s mission is to “bring together students from all majors, career interests and aspirations to achieve personal and professional success … seeking to provide opportunities for mentorship, networking, leadership and community engagement.”

The third point emphasizing critical thinking is not to criticize other’s point of view. Merriam-Webster defines critical thinking as “the act of thinking critically in order to solve problems, evaluate information and discern biases.” Taking a step back to listen, think and respond can be more productive than a knee-jerk reaction, as shown with the questionable essay prompt requirement.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Manpower Group chief information officer and Columbia University professor of business psychology, explains the value of emotional intelligence (EQ) in having a range of skills and knowledge to solve problems. “AI has probably won the IQ battle, but the EQ battle is up for grabs.”

Critical thinking includes carrying out complicated projects with many moving pieces and personality types. John Behrens, director of technology and digital studies at University of Notre Dame, explains that although machines do specific tasks, we still “need big-picture humans to put it all together.”

AI is not a replacement for human thought. Instead, people must step up to develop their social skills to avoid being outpaced by AI seeping into our everyday decision-making.

Humanity and AI can go hand-in-hand.

(Margo Bartsch founded College Essay Coach, a full-service college admission business, and has been an adjunct professor in business at Champlain College and at Middlebury College.)