So, what makes us better than AI, anyway?

In this week’s CarCast, Bruno Aziza sits down with Kenneth Cukier, deputy executive editor of The Economist.

As Aziza describes him, Cukier is “one of these people who just makes you smarter every time you talk to him.” He has written multiple books on data and decision-making, including “Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform How We Work, Live and Think.”

The two discuss the power of the human brain, including:

• Humans’ advantage over AI.
• What is “counterfactual reasoning.”
• How humans can embrace the power of frames.
• Why humans are sometimes not good at solving problems.

In navigating challenges, people often rely on distinct approaches to reframe their perspectives. There are three techniques everyone can use to tap into human imagination: repertoire, repurposing and reinvention. 

1. Repertoire: This method taps into existing knowledge and historical events to address current issues. Like Ben Bernanke drawing insights from the Great Depression to tackle the 2008 financial crisis, repertoire involves leveraging familiar frames for efficient problem-solving.
2. Repurposing: When existing frames fall short, repurposing offers a solution by borrowing concepts from different domains. Take Ingvar Kamprad, who reshaped the furniture industry by repurposing the trend of disposable goods when founding IKEA. This approach efficiently adapts successful models from unrelated fields.
3. Reinvention: The most challenging — yet transformative — method, reinvention involves creating entirely new frames. Figures like Charles Darwin exemplify this by revolutionizing perspectives on evolution. Reinvention becomes necessary when existing frames prove inadequate for novel or unprecedented situations.

You’ll enjoy this CarCast if you’re in the field of data and/or you want to understand the art and science behind decision making.  

Bruno Aziza is a technology entrepreneur.