On my quarter-century journey within the ever-evolving realm of Information Technology, I’ve navigated through countless waves of innovation, each more challenging and exhilarating than the last.
Amidst this sea of change, a constant companion has been my own sense of imposter syndrome - a relentless whisper questioning my accomplishments and place in an industry that never sleeps and sheds the weak like a Yellowstone bison herd.
It’s a sentiment, I’ve found, shared by many of my peers; an unspoken bond that ties us together in our collective pursuit of progress and understanding. Perhaps we don’t know it all but as long as we know enough to help the next person…
Recently, this journey led me to the heart of innovation at Microsoft’s 2023-24 AI world tour in Sydney. There, once again surrounded by the pinnacle of human ingenuity, I found the latest frontier of self doubt.
No longer was it just the achievements of my peers that cast a long shadow, but the sheer, unfathomable capabilities of artificial intelligence. The showcased robots and algorithms, with their ability to learn, adapt and outperform humans in increasingly complex tasks, presented a stark realisation: the human imposter syndrome I had wrestled with for decades was now compounded by an emerging inferiority complex to machines.
It was kind of humbling.
AI that can compose music, write poetry, solve intricate problems, and even mimic human emotions with eerie precision. I wondered what was left for me: as a professional, as a creator. All in an age where the lines between human and machine creativity, intelligence and productivity are increasingly blurred.
For me the conference underscored the undeniable value of human intuition, empathy and the unique creative spark that, at least for now, remains distinctly human. In a way it was galvanising. And that’s what you need at the start of an unknown journey.
In a future shaped by artificial intelligence how will we redefine success, contribution and self-worth in a world where our creative efforts are increasingly paralleled, and surpassed by AI?
For most of us the AI journey will be a quest. If not our own, then as a bit part in someone else’s odyssey. Like an extra standing on the side of the road and oblivious to the great forces at play, as Frodo and Sam passed by on the one true adventure.