 |
|
|
|||||
Generative AI transforms the way we work, but its impacts arent limited to what it can do. It can also teach us about language and communication. We typically think of hallucinations as sensory perceptionslike a sound or imagethat seem real in the mind but didnt occur in external reality. In the era of Generative AI, the word hallucination refers to a large language model that produces incorrect or fabricated information. But hallucinations arent just an AI problem, because inaccuracies are an equally common occurrence in human interactions. Most conversations contain hallucinations, and the corporate meeting is a space that is especially prone to that. Meetings are often where we tackle the most challenging communication tasks. Balancing priorities, working through clarifying questions, delivering newsthese tasks require the tools of real-time responses and nuanced inflection. Meeting hallucinations occur when incorrect assumptions derail conversations. These misunderstandings can lead to circular conversations or meetings that dont accomplish their goal. These hallucinations are a key piece of the puzzle of our meeting culture. And this is why many despise meetings even though they remain necessary. The concept of common ground In my subfield of linguisticspragmaticstheres a foundational concept called common ground. During a conversation, common ground refers to the information that all parties have established to be true. If information is in the common ground, you dont need to restate it. In my role as a data scientist at AT&T, we dont feel the need to say things like: this is an AT&T meeting, we are data scientists, or this is a work meeting. However, its fair to say that all of those assumptions are in common ground at any given time. Or do they? The challenge with meeting hallucinations occurs when you have mismatched common ground assumptions. One persons understanding of what constitutes common ground (e.g., the purpose of the meeting, the goal of the project, the best outcome of the discussion, the role of the meeting participant) doesnt always match someone elses. Meeting hallucinationsor mismatched common ground assumptions in meetingscan lead to conflict that diverts the focus. It can also mask the fundamental disagreement, which might not actually be about a specific solution requirementbut the goal of the solution writ large. Addressing meeting hallucinations will reduce the frequency of meetings, increase productivity in meetings across the board, and perhaps most importantly: will enhance the buy-in to your meetings. Here are some best practices to follow to overcome these subtle, hidden miscommunications: Reflect on common ground assumptions before a meeting Preventing meeting hallucinations starts with understanding what is in your own set of common ground assumptions. Before you begin a meeting, think through what you want to achieve. Consider what you believe to be true about the topics youre discussing. Reflect on whether all parties in the meeting share this belief. Boldly state the obvious at the top of the meeting No one wants to beat a dead horse. But its worth talking through relevant common ground assumptions with other meeting participants. This way, you can avoid unnecessary miscommunication and avoid wasting time. Whether the common ground assumption is about timelines, who owns the work, or the overall goal of a project, take the time to say the obvious part out loud. It might not be obvious to everyone. Identify possible communication gaps by restating the common ground assumptions When meeting hallucinations happen, they require you to recognize that a moment of conflict or confusion isnt always due to the discussion topic. If you feel like a meeting is going south, reset the conversation. You can do this by reestablishing common ground assumptions or flagging statements that seem to introduce a new common ground assumption to the context. Perspectives based on unrelated previous outcomes, rigid takes on a situation based on specific training, rushing to judgement without all the informationthese are common issues that many have with corporate meetings. Theyre also core drivers of AI hallucinations, and they are also lurking in our corporate culture. Meeting hallucinations might feel like a strange way to think about meetings. But once you apply it, youll find that youre finally meeting your colleagues where they are.
Category:
E-Commerce
At a time when book bans are raging and the federal government is pushing back against DEI initiatives, there’s one place where diversity is thriving: children’s literature. Picture bookswhich cater to those under the age of 10are often children’s first introduction to poetry and art. And this year, there are many newly-published picture books that celebrate aspects of Black life in nuanced ways, portraying history, culture, and joy. Here are five of our favorites. ‘City Summer, Country Summer’ [Art: Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House] By Kiese Laymon, illustrated by Alexis Franklin. (Kokila/Penguin Young Readers, ages 5-9.) Author Kiese Laymon is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir. In 2020, he wrote an article for the New York Times describing what how Black boys from New York would come down South to visit their grandparents during the summer months. He’s translated this narrative into a story about three Black boys who spend a summer together exploring the woods of Mississippi, under the watchful eye of their grandmother. Under the surface, you find a tale about how the Great Migration shaped the Black community, resulting in different subcultures in the North and South. But ultimately the story is about the tender bonds of friendship that Black boys create with one another, and how they turn to one other to express their joy, as well as their fear. ‘Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became A Writer’ [Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers] By Quartez Harris, illustrated by Gordon C James. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ages 7-10.) James Baldwin is remembered as a celebrated writer whose work offered Americans a powerful insight into the richness and complexity of Black American life. But few of us know about his childhood. Growing up in Harlem, he was known as a Jimmy, and the stepson of a Reverend who preached fiery sermons against racism. At fourteen, Jimmy decided to take to the pulpit, but chose to speak from a place of love. This pivotal moment informs the years to come, as Jimmy leaves home to become a writer. With lyrical language, the book shows Jimmy traveling to France and returning back to New York to write his first book, Go Tell It On The Mountain. ‘On Our Way! What a Day!’ [Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House] By JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony. (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Young Readers, ages 4-6). This is a fun, colorful book that will delight young readers. Six grandkids wake up and get ready to go visit their grandmother on her birthday. But none of them have a gift. As they walk over as a grouplooking after one another along the waythey come across lots of little objects, from pine cones to pencils. But they’re not sure whether any of these things are good enough for Gram. This book is ultimately about the joy of having siblings, discovering treasures in the world around us, and enjoying a little bit of independence from grown-ups. The illustrations in this book are replete with little details that will keep children coming back to it again and again. ‘And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life’ [Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers] By Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Daniel Minter. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ages 4-8). This book is written as a poem that captures the beauty in Toni Morrison’s language. It depicts how she grew up in a small town in Ohio by the name of Chloe Ardelia, finding joy playing hopscotch in the playground and as the only Black girl at her school. It was at Howard University that she decided to take her fate into her own hands and change her name. We learn about how Morrison rose through the ranks of the all-white publishing world as an editor. And even though she have very little time as a single mother, she woke up a four in the morning to write her own stories. The words, and she was loved echoes in each page, reflecting how she took all the support her community gave her to create some of the greatest works of American literature. ‘Girls on the Rise’ [Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House] By Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loveis Wise. (Viking Books for Young Readers, ages 4-8). The poet Amanda Gorman has a new picture book dedicated to girls, written in verse. It is a manifesto about how girls are strong and capable, but are unstoppable when they work together to bring about change. The book nods to history, as the illustrations explore everything from the achievements of everyone from Beyonce to the Williams sisters to Simone Biles. But it also hints at how women have had to fight for their rights, including reproductive freedom. Gorman first came to the world’s attention as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration four years ago, when President Biden entered office. As a new administration takes root with a much more regressive stance on women’s rights, this picture book could not come at a better time.
Category:
E-Commerce
With TikTok and DeepSeek, young people are forking over sensitive personal data to the Chinese government. We should be worried. Among Gen Z, theres a certain nihilism about Chinas access to American data. Some argue that they have nothing to hide. Others say that, if American billionaires can access their data, why not let China, too? When TikTok momentarily shut down, young people ran to RedNote, a Chinese alternative, as a not-very-veiled middle finger to the U.S. government. Chinas threat to our data security is difficult to comprehend. If they were accessing sensitive information, we wouldnt see it. And, for young people not yet in the workforce, their privacy concerns may be decades away. But we should take this threat seriously; China isnt some victimless entity to hand over your data to. Knowing that the worlds largest police state is collecting your data should make anyone nervous, James Lewis, a researcher at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, writes in an email. China’s laws say that any and all Chinese companies must turn over data if MSS asks for it and there is no appeal or refusal. The domestic capitalists versus the foreign autocrats Many Americans arent thrilled with who has access to their data already. Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has effectively taken a buzzsaw to the federal bureaucracy, holds gobs of sensitive user data through X. The same goes for Mark Zuckerberg and his portfolio at Meta. So why would we care about China having that data too? But theres a difference between domestic and foreign data ownership. The United States has a court system users can fight through if their data is misused. If China abuses your data, theres no recourse. Moreover, the Chinese government and America-based companies have completely different incentives. Musk and Zuckerberg have a lot of money, but Chinas rulers have a thousand times more, plus an army and nuclear weapons, Lewis writes. Theyre individuals, the [Chinese Communist Party] CCP is a huge institution that will do anything to maintain the Partys control. China has also committed dozens of documented human rights abuses. Bill Drexel, a fellow at the Center for New American Security, says it’s entirely possible the CCP is using American data to fuel their abuses of power. Shipping off our data to China helps “strengthen and augment” their “techno-authoritarian” governance, he argues. These companies are part of an ecosystem that is actively engaging in genocide, Drexel says. Yes, Facebook is not my favorite company, but it doesn’t have Uyghurs in labor camps. ‘Preventative’ data privacy Chinese ownership of American personal data feels like a victimless crime. Wed likely never see its usage, given how secretive China’s data collection process is. (Drexel says that experts are even wary of saying what they know, given how quickly the CCP can “patch” holes.) That means we dont even know if the abuse is happening at all. Much of the conversation around a TikTok ban covered how China could access American data, not that they are. But there are signs. Lewis says the CCP is addicted to collecting data, having done so through health insurance companies, airlines, travel agents, and federal offices since 2014. True, America has the Foreign Information Surveillance Act, which allows the government to collect foreign intelligence information through means such as electronic surveillance and physical searches. But, he writes, compared to the CCP’s operations, that law “looks like a chihuahua.” The greatest threat of China’s data abuse is pluralistic in nature; the fear, basically, is that the CCP can effectively mine the data of millions of Americans for value. But that’s not to say some individuals aren’t especially vulnerable. Those in military and intelligence roles are especially wary of Chinas data overreach, Drexel notes, but more working professionals should be cautious. Its conceivable that if you’re in a business role that has significant national competitiveness dimensions, they could use it there too, he says. China has been extremely effective at corporate espionage and IP theft. You can see this data coming into the service of that. That puts young people in an especially blind position. Most have yet to reach high-ranking military status or climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Why would China care about the data of a random high school student? But that teenager scrolling Red Note or treating DeepSeek like a therapist could enter a sensitive industry in the decades to come. Meanwhile, the CCP is building their leverage. Lewis calls data privacy preventative, trying to cut out foreign data abuse at the root. But Americans are notoriously bad at valuing forward-looking policy. Just look at climate change; while many Americans claim to care about the issue, it remains low on their priorities because it is so far away. But we should want to protect our future selvesespecially from the whims of a foreign competitor with which there is no legal fallback. Drexel puts it bluntly: The CCP isnt interested in you until they are.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||