Technical Perfection and the Capacity for Grace
As we’ve introduced more and more technology into our lives we’ve gotten closer and closer to achieving perfection in our day to day. But is that a good thing?
I write these articles on Google Docs, and as I write the software is constantly humming in the background correcting my (occasionally) poor spelling and offering suggestions on grammar. My 13 year old daughter has a Grammarly account through school. Whenever I’m driving anywhere I’ll open Google Maps before I leave - even if it’s a location I’ve travelled to dozens of times before - to make sure there’s no traffic or roadwork to keep me from getting to my destination on time. All of these interventions create a veneer of perfection, both in our abilities, but also in the abilities of the technology that we rely on.
With the influx of AI products this has taken on a new and interesting turn. I’m currently on the job market, so this example is born from that experience. In hiring right now there’s a kind of perfection arms race happening with AI. The number of applicants for any given position is large. Like over 100 applicants within 24 hours. Whether that’s due to a remote-focused shift in roles opening competition to a broader audience or a flood of unemployed combined with slower hiring the result is the same, just getting an interview is harder than at any point in recent history, particularly for white collar workers. Recruiters, hiring managers and even small businesses are leveraging AI augmented platforms to attempt to sift through the mountains of applicants for any open role.
In response, applicants have started employing a host of AI tools to tweak resumes, LinkedIn profiles and cover letters to exactly match the job requirements as listed by the hiring manager/recruiter. What we’re told is that if even one requirement doesn’t match you won’t even get past the AI.
But we’re not perfect. Our skills don’t perfectly align with that of any job posting. I may still be late to a party, even though Google Maps exists. And I may misspell something, even with autocorrect running in the background. Humans are imperfect. And that’s OK. It’s even more than OK. Our imperfections do more for us than give us our personalities. Seeing and knowing our own imperfections allows us to give others grace. We bring the myriad of successes and failures that we’ve amassed in our time on earth to every interaction, every decision and that’s what makes experiencing and learning about the world through other viewpoints so important.
Not only is this impactful from a business or product perspective (we’ve know this forever - heck even the NYTimes was on it back in 2017 Why Having a Diverse Team will Make Your Product Better) but it’s equally important to engage with diverse cultural touchpoints as well. The arts have been a huge part of my life and exposure to themes and characters in books, theater, ballet and film have helped to shape a worldview that without them would have been terribly narrow. Travelling is an amazing way to experience different cultures, but so is engaging in local theater where new voices are telling their stories. So is reading a book from a perspective that you might never have even considered. These experiences broaden our worldview and make us better, stronger and better equipped to grant others grace.
As the march towards perfectionism continues with AI I urge everyone to engage with the imperfect arts. Go see a play, listen to a new album that isn’t suggested by Spotify, go to a poetry slam - remember that we’re all imperfect. And that’s perfect.
