"Outsource the instrumental freely. Guard the intrinsic closely." That's the cleanest version of the distinction I keep trying to make in my own writing. The practical failure I see constantly is people treating intrinsically valuable thinking - creative judgment, taste, point of view - as if it's instrumental. They outsource the whole thing and wonder why what comes back feels hollow. The skill of knowing which you're doing is exactly right, and almost nobody is teaching it.
Thanks, Steve! It’s also a distinction that I think sometimes drives the debate between those who oppose AI and those who accept its usefulness. People differ greatly on how they would classify a given thinking task, masking why some argue that it all must stay in human hands.
"Outsource the instrumental freely. Guard the intrinsic closely." That's the cleanest version of the distinction I keep trying to make in my own writing. The practical failure I see constantly is people treating intrinsically valuable thinking - creative judgment, taste, point of view - as if it's instrumental. They outsource the whole thing and wonder why what comes back feels hollow. The skill of knowing which you're doing is exactly right, and almost nobody is teaching it.
Thanks, Steve! It’s also a distinction that I think sometimes drives the debate between those who oppose AI and those who accept its usefulness. People differ greatly on how they would classify a given thinking task, masking why some argue that it all must stay in human hands.