“It’s like drinking from a fire hose” – what it’s like to be the human in the AI ​​circuit

The government’s promised overhaul of New Zealand’s public service has made great use of the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and compensate for radically reduced workforces.

This is consistent with generally utopian visions of generative AI (GenAI) tools that unlock creativity, eliminate mundane, repetitive work, and “free up people” for more fulfilling tasks.

However, this may be naive.

It’s true that GenAI tools can lead to efficiencies and cost savings for businesses as they become more powerful and their implementation becomes more sophisticated. In this win-win world, organizations and the people who work in them benefit.

But there is another side to this story as we become more aware of the drawbacks of GenAI tools – security risks, hallucinations, bias, a “dumbing down” of human input and a lack of ethical insight.

One thing that isn’t discussed, however, is the need for human oversight of GenAI’s work. For legal and…