Recent advances in AI for IT have shown the huge potential for changing the way that we do work. However, AI can’t replace everyone in the workforce. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Rita Younger, Josh Warcop, and Rob Coote as they look at how the hype surrounding AI must inevitably be reconciled with the reality of real people doing work. They discuss the way that AI is judged for its mistakes versus a human as well as how marketing is pushing software as the solution to all our staffing ills.
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AI will change the way that IT teams configure and manage their systems but it will take time for those teams to integrate into their current workflows and assure everyone it is a boon. This episode features Rita Younger, Joshua Warcop, and Rob Coote talking to Tom Hollingsworth about how much AI has already changed and how far it has to go in order to be a fully featured solution. They discuss not only the gaps in AI but the gaps that knowledge workers embody today.
While AI is drawing from a depth of knowledge that encompasses documentation and best practices, it is not a perfect solution today. There is nuance in the discussion that comes from years of experience in a given discipline. People learn from their mistakes and we expect them to make those mistakes in their growth as a worker. When AI makes mistakes we are immediately skeptical and racing to find a way to prevent it from ever happening again. Should AI be given the same grace that we extend to people?
Another part of this discussion highlights how AI is touted to replace so many things in IT yet we’ve heard this hype before and yet no one has been completely put out of work. Every technology eventually finds a niche to fill and performs to capabilities instead of the overinflated promise that was used to market it. As a technology matures, operations and design teams find the optimal way to use any solution instead of accepting the idea that it will replace everything.
The discussion wraps up with ideas from the panel about what questions you should be asking today when it comes to AI. The reality is that we will need to incorporate this technology into our workflows but we need to verify that it’s going to be a help as we train it to do the things we want it to do for us.
Podcast Information:
Tom Hollingsworth is a Networking and Security Specialist at Gestalt IT and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website.
Josh Warcop is a Cloud Innovation Architect. You can connect with Josh on LinkedIn and on X/Twitter and learn more about him on his website.
Rita Younger is a Practice Lead of Data Center Networking at World Wide Technology. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and read more on her website.
Rob Coote is a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Director. You can connect with Rob on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and learn more on his website.
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