Xplore_AI: Want to avoid AI Whiplash? Don’t Chase.

Xplore_AI: Want to avoid AI Whiplash? Don’t Chase. 

In 1970, futurist Alvin Toffler published a book entitled “Future Shock”, which covers the psychological distress and anxiety caused by rapid technological and societal change. Toffler’s feeling was that most of society’s problems are symptoms of ‘information overload’. 

 
Ironically, the problem is exacerbated by technology itself. Internet ‘cookies’ and AI algorithms track our digital behaviors to curate data to sling at our hungry eyeballs, which are glued to the ubiquitous screens and devices we carry with us everywhere. Navigating, processing, assimilating, and making sense of all this information is not only an exercise in futility, but it is also unnatural and unhealthy. 

Initially, I considered this issue to be merely an annoyance and something to kvetch about at parties. After all, we always have the option to ignore the noise and side-step the issue all together, right? Well, not really. That may work in our personal lives but in a professional context, many of us are under increasing pressure to innovate, drive better outcomes, and do more with less… yesterday! Like it or not, we need to pay attention to what’s happening. This is particularly true when it comes to keeping up to date on AI, where ignorance is not bliss and getting it wrong could have dire consequences. So… what can we do? 
 

Unfortunately, there is no easy “fix.”  However, one thing sprung to mind while watching a pro hockey game this week, my favorite sport. Don’t chase.  For those of you who have never played a sport, this may be a new concept, but it is simple. In sports like soccer, hockey, or basketball, when the coach yells "don't chase" it means the players should avoid frantically pursuing the ball, puck, or their opponents in a disorganized manner. Instead, they should maintain their position, stay disciplined, and anticipate the play, allowing them to respond strategically rather than reactively. Get the picture? 
 

Applying this one simple tweak will not turn off the firehose of information hitting us daily.  But with some prep work and practice, it will help you remain “in the pocket” (calm under pressure) allowing you to mindfully select what you give your attention to. 
 

Here’s why it’s important and how it applies to both sports and your corresponding professional role: 

1. Maintain Positioning: When players chase, or over-commit, they often leave their assigned positions, creating gaps and opportunities for the opposing team. Staying in position helps maintain the team's structure and reduces vulnerabilities. In your job, this means to avoid getting sucked into every AI article, opinion, trend, opinion or webinar. Note that a pre-requisite here is having a documented AI strategy or at least a core set of priorities as a foundational structure. Without a plan, you are more prone to inefficient chasing because there is no baseline for the priorities. 
2. Conserve Energy: Constantly chasing can lead to fatigue, which affects performance during a game. By playing smarter and picking their moments, players can conserve energy for when it is needed most. In our daily work, there are only so many hours in each day. Following an AI game plan lets you avoid wasting your energy, and maximizes your more precious resource, time. 
3. Control the Pace: Rather than letting the opponent dictate the pace, not chasing allows players to be patient and make decisions based on the flow of the game. It helps them to cut off passing lanes and force turnovers by waiting for the right moment. In a professional context, the key phrases here are “be patient” and “waiting for the right moment.” When the world feels like it is moving too fast, hit the pause button and zoom out for a wider perspective. The thing that is moving too fast is likely you. 

The “don’t chase” concept encourages players to stay composed, trust in the team strategy, and let the game come to them instead of trying to control everything through sheer effort. Again, this presumes you already have an AI strategy in place. If this is not the case, here are a couple of thoughts to get you rolling.  
 

1. Don’t over think it. Start with your organization’s business goals as a foundation. Your AI plans should align with the company’s priorities and strategic objectives, rather than being created in a vacuum as a stand-alone document. Also crucial here is involving your legal, risk, and executive leadership teams at the earliest stages of this process. 
2. Incorporate AI Principles: Establishing a set of key AI principles along with the strategy will ensure there are rules of the road and guardrails to help you meet your ethical, legal, societal, and regulatory goals and requirements. While it’s useful to view other’s principles (normally listed on their web sites), it’s important to make these unique to your organization. Don’t underestimate the time required here. At Nuix we spent several weeks on this, including a detailed crosswalk of the AI regulations that are most relevant to our geographic footprint, industry, and customer base. This could work for you too. 
3. Think Big, Start Small: While you should embrace a big and exciting long-term vision, including identifying the domains where AI makes sense for your business, start with tangible but low risk use cases—low hanging fruit—that can make an impact, generate some organizational mindshare, achieve some experiential learning, and build some internal confidence. 
    

Like the weather, information overload is unavoidable. And despite what you might imagine, no one is keeping up with all of this. I have heard PhD’s and AI experts admit that they cannot remain current because things are simply changing too quickly. Knowing this should bring some peace of mind. Don’t chase: Maintain positioning (follow your plan); conserve your energy (pay attention to what’s relevant and let the rest sail by); and maintain a healthy pace (Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort). 
 

Knowledge is power.  Information overload makes you powerless. 

Meanwhile, for input, guidance, or ideas on any of the above, please reach out, happy to help. 

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