BE WARY OF AI'S POTENTIAL

What to expect...

Tone: outside voice

Snark level: it's surely there somewhere

Other special provisions: another post criticizing ai. surprise.

ai has so much potential, but no one knows what the future holds for the technology. this truth will excite some, but anyone would be right to be wary. maybe even a touch cynical.

because potential is a word that often gets people in big trouble. for an idea of what i mean, look at the first overall picks of the previous nfl drafts.

potential in the nfl

the first overall pick in the nfl draft is the epitome of potential. not only will this player be one of 256 (or more) players selected in the draft, but this player is drafted by a team who believes he is key to turning the organization around. the team that takes this player has earned this pick either by having the worst record the previous season, or by trading to move into the top spot. so it's safe to say the first overall pick is loaded with potential. without that potential, he wouldn't be the first overall pick.

how often does potential pay off?

sometimes you get big wins from that potential. maybe you draft a hall of fame player like PEYTON MANNING, JOHN ELWAY, or TERRY BRADSHAW. but sometimes you get a bust—a guy who doesn't pan out as expected—like JAMARCUS RUSSELL, TIM COUCH, or DAVID CARR. some of these players are cut loose from their original teams after three or four seasons. their potential might get them other chances to play for other teams. it's hard to pass on the allure of salvaging a former first-round pick, partly because of ego—coaches want to be the one who turned the diamond in the rough into a bonafide stud—but also, all that potential means they might help the team win big, thereby keeping everybody's jobs for another season or few.

but the player himself isn't the only one who loses when he doesn't reach his potential. coaches and general managers who were banking on the kid are often looking for new jobs and new homes whenever the team parts ways with the player.

other dangers of potential outside football

football isn't the only area we see the dangers of putting too much stock into potential.

cryptocurrency was once the technology that had the potential to change the world. until it didn't. to be fair, i suppose you could say it changed the world in that it created new avenues for massive fraud.

that guy your daughter or friend is crazy about may have potential. until he breaks her heart.

all of GOOGLE's attempts at social networking had great potential, even if only briefly.

the hard truth about potential

potential is intoxicating. it's like a dream. the possibilities are endless. as long as you focus on potential and ignore reality, you can paint as pretty a picture as you can imagine.

but that potential is worthless until it's realized.

bringing it back to ai

anytime ai is criticized, the zealots are quick to counter with reminders of its potential.

wait until the next update—it's going to change everything.

kinda sounds like crypto.

potential is tempting to sell. because potential is limited only by the imaginations of the seller and the buyer. potential is a synonym for possibility. but possibility is different from likely. the unfortunate truth is we don't know what is likely in the future.

we can't completely ignore potential. it's something to keep an eye on, because we're being irresponsible if we don't see how the world around us might change. but we can't go all in on potential alone.