Are we over-dependent on ChatGPT? Studies show what over-reliance on AI can do (and it's not good). Here's how to maintain a healthy balance with ChatGPT.
Over-dependence on AI tools like ChatGPT can have consequences.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool in our professional and personal lives, with ChatGPT and similar platforms leading the charge in the job search. While AI tech promises efficiency and innovation, growing dependency on tech tools for decision-making raises concerns about the impact on human creativity, decision-making, and cognitive abilities - some skills you might need in your career. However, for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and even small business owners, AI presents a remarkable opportunity to level the playing field. After all, if you are in the job market, you are CEO of a Brand Called You - and thinking like an entrepreneur can help your job search. With ChatGPT and similar platforms, anyone can access powerful tools at zero cost. For example, you don’t have to hire a career coach to revise your résumé, when your square flashlight can provide that service for free.
Dr. Sham Singh, a cognitive scientist and author of multiple studies on human-AI interaction, highlights the tension regarding useful efficiency and harmful obsession. In a survey conducted by AI-security company Nsoft, 58.1% of respondents report an increased reliance on AI for decision-making. Commenting on the survey, Singh says, “AI tools can drastically reduce cognitive load by performing either routine or complex tasks, freeing users for more challenging activities. However, these tools undoubtedly foster ‘cognitive offloading,’ with users routinely referring to systems for decisions, information storage, and creative solutions.” When you’re in the job interview, or performing at your job, you have to respond in the moment, without aid from AI. Are you ready to face those challenges without relying on outside tools?
ChatGPT as a Game-Changer for Careers
You know that free or low-cost AI platforms can help with résumés, cover letters and more. But be careful. If everybody is using AI, you risk losing distinction if you rely on the platform too much. Are you front and center in your career communication - or is AI stealing your spotlight? When you outsource anything, you have to decide where to draw the line.
Forbes says that relying solely on AI to write your résumé is a great way to diminish your expertise, not necessarily enhance it. “Even while using AI to craft your resume and cover letter, always ensure that the final product reflects your voice and style. Use AI to enhance the conciseness, presentation, and grammar of your documents and job application answers, and to rewrite what you have already inputted from your experience in the prompt (ensuring the AI tool you're using is aware of the job specifications and description so the result you receive is more tailored), but for nothing else,” according to top contributor, Rachel Wells.
Here are a few ways ChatGPT can empower your career:
1. Streamlining Communication with ChatGPT
Small business owners often wear multiple hats, juggling marketing, customer service, and operations. That’s true for job seekers, where you are in charge of your own brand - as well as operations - in your job search. ChatGPT can draft professional emails, create marketing content, and respond to customer inquiries in seconds. The caveat (warning) to avoid over-dependence: always use AI as a starting point, not a final destination, in your communications.
2. Generating Marketing Content for Your Brand
For businesses without dedicated marketing teams, creating compelling social media posts, blog articles, or ad copy can be time-consuming and expensive. In your career, your personal brand is key to your professional success - and you are in the content creation business, when you are looking for new opportunities. How could ChatGPT punch up your next email message - or help with prompts in the job interview?
3. Simplifying Administrative Tasks with AI
Administrative work, like scheduling, drafting proposals, or creating invoices, can consume valuable time. ChatGPT can assist by automating these tasks, reducing the workload and freeing up entrepreneurs and job seekers to concentrate on growth-oriented activities. Whether you are looking for a new job, or just trying to excel in your current one, it’s not over-dependence if you use tools wisely.
4. Balancing Opportunity and Dependency with ChatGPT
The National Library of Medicine warns against “skill decay”, when we rely too heavily on ChatGPT and other forms of AI. “When an automated system provides information to a user,” the report states, “this information can bias the user’s situation assessment and reduce how frequently they cross-check information.” The key with AI? Trust, but verify. Hallucinations often exist - and can create challenges if unchecked.
Here are practical steps to maximize the benefits of ChatGPT without falling into dependency:
Keep Your Eye on the Ball, with ChatGPT
AI tools should serve as assistants, not decision-makers. Critically evaluate AI-generated outputs and make final decisions, to make sure that whatever content you’re creating reflects your voice, your point of view and your expertise.
Delegate What You Can, But Keep What Matters Most
Reserve AI tools for repetitive or time-intensive tasks, such as drafting content or managing schedules, is an opportunity for creative freedom, not over-reliance. When you use AI like you might use a spreadsheet or calculator, ChatGPT is a tool for efficiency.
Invest in Skill Development around AI
In every career today, the number one question for job seekers is: How familiar are you with AI, and how are you using it in your career? New courses, offered by Nvidia and others, provide a free or low-cost way to expand your horizons - and your career potential. Understanding how to use ChatGPT and others is vital to every career, in almost every industry.
The Risks of Over-Reliance on ChatGPT
While AI can help small businesses punch above their weight, and help job seekers automate much of the career search, over-reliance could result in unforeseen challenges - especially in the interview, where ChatGPT isn’t feeding you prompts and answers (at least, not yet). ChatGPT can suggest what to say, but how to deliver your message is always up to you. The experience of conversation and interaction, in the job interview, remains a uniquely human task. Where do you need a boost, and where can you go it alone?
As Dr. Singh’s insights remind us, AI should empower us - not become a crutch or outlet for over-dependence. The key is separation. What is your responsibility, and what can you outsource, to ChatGPT? Decision-making and conversations are still yours to discover. By striking this balance, you can avoid over-dependence and can harness the full potential of AI.
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Chris Westfall
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