A respected author has a warning about the future of AI using the mixed history of spreadsheet mistakes as an example.
Tim Harford is an excellent columnist and author known as “the Undercover Economist”. Check out his “More or Less” podcast for the BBC.
In a recent article he argues that the spreadsheet is a technology that collapsed time, automated tedious tasks, and empowered workers, but also warns that it can be misused and misunderstood by people who do not know how it works.
What the birth of the spreadsheet teaches us about generative AI
He draws parallels and contrasts between the spreadsheet and generative AI, and raises some questions about the future of work and creativity.
Spreadsheets let people who were not accountants use it for various purposes, such as data analysis, modelling, and planning, but often without proper understanding or error-checking, leading to mistakes and confusion.
Like spreadsheets, AI may enhance human creativity and productivity, or it may also create new risks and inequalities.
We’ve covered some of these problems in Office Watch
Excel’s effect on economic policy
Anesthetists Discover How NOT To Use Excel
Why Excel Causes Errors In gene Studies And How To Fix
