Google bid $10 million for an airline's old work emails to train AI. Much of what made that work matter never showed up in an email.
Google wants to learn from the record of our working lives. We should take a closer look ourselves, because understanding what our work accomplishes could change what we attempt next.
TL;DR
- Google bid $10 million for Spirit Airlines' internal business data, including emails and messages, for AI training and product development.
- The article questions the value of such data, contrasting tangible records with the intangible accomplishments and decisions that constitute meaningful work.
- The author suggests that the real work is often in the alignment of people and the resolution of problems, which may leave minimal traces.
- AI's ability to produce similar outputs quickly raises concerns about the perceived value of human effort and encourages a re-examination of what our work is truly accomplishing.
- The potential of AI lies in enabling projects that were previously out of reach, allowing teams to focus on deeper understanding and impact rather than just producing records.
- Google's bid offers a chance to learn from past work, but the author emphasizes the importance of examining our own work while we still have the opportunity to change its direction and outcomes.