“Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.”
– Charlie Munger
This wise quote can be applied to many things in life, but in our current AI era it cuts right to the heart of the problem: if your company encourages/demands the use of AI without linking it to real-world positive outcomes (more software shipped, time saved, less-stressed employees, more bugs fixed, happier customers)…
🏎️ …then you’re in a race where your employees have put their car in neutral and are revving their engine to burn fuel without actually moving. ⛽️ You’re measuring the wrong thing, incentivizing the wrong behaviour, and wondering why no car with your logo has crossed the finish line but your fuel bill is high.
I am not anti-AI by any means: I use the tools daily and have experienced hitting usage limits when vibe coding projects. But would I spend my time using AI for the sake of using it without building something useful? No. My incentive is to learn new skills, make me a better future employee, and build things that help me solve challenges. Tools must have a reason to be used.
What incentive do your employees have to use AI in useful ways? Fear of job loss isn’t the incentive that will get the outcome you want.