Today, I want to run an experiment with you.
However, to start, I’m not going to tell you what the experiment is about. Instead, you’re just going to have to trust me and follow my instructions step by step for the grand reveal at the end. It’ll only take a few minutes, and everyone could use a little brain teaser with their coffee break now and again.
Sound good?
Alright, let’s do this. You’re going to need a pencil, a piece of paper, and whatever artistic skills (or lack thereof) you possess.
TL;DR - Read the Implement case study here
To begin, I have two rules:
No reading ahead. Complete each step before reading the next one.
Take note of how you feel at each step.
Simple enough, right? Keep these rules in mind as you go through the following three steps. And no cheating, we are talking about ethics here anyway.
To Start
This is the easiest part. Take your sheet of blank paper and divide it into three sections. No need to get fancy here, just try to make the three sections as even as possible in whatever orientation your heart so desires.
Told you this part would be easy.
Now it’s time for your artistic skills to really blossom…
Step One
In the first blank section, draw me a picture.
That’s it. That’s all the directions you get for this step. You have one minute, draw me a picture of whatever comes to mind.
(And no peaking at the next steps until you’re done)
Step Two
In the second blank section, draw me a picture of a flower.
Doesn’t matter what kind, any flower will do. April showers are said to bring May flowers, so you should have plenty of inspiration to pull on. You have one minute again, draw me a picture of whatever flower comes to mind.
(Don’t forget to note how you feel during each step)
Step Three
In the final blank section, draw me a picture of your mother’s favorite flower on the kitchen table at breakfast.
Don’t worry, we’re not aiming for a Picasso here. A nice simple picture will do just fine. Take a minute, or maybe even two if you need, to put the finishing touches on your third and final drawing.
The Results
If you followed the steps (and my two rules) you should be looking at a sheet of paper with three different drawings on it and a sense of how each step of instructions made you feel along the way. To complete the experiment now, I have two questions for you to answer:
For most people, you are going to notice two things about this little experiment.
First, with each step, the drawings become more detailed and refined. You started with a blank slate and only one minute to come up with something to draw without any further guidance. Most likely, you drew a quick doodle of the first thing that came to mind. As you moved through the steps though and were given further instructions, you spent less time thinking of what to draw, and more time thinking of what details to add to the drawing.
Second, with each step, the instructions became easier to follow. As the instructions for the drawings became more specific, it was easier to understand what was expected and how you could put your creativity to work through the given parameters. As you moved through the steps, you should have felt an increase in confidence in your drawings.
So, have you guessed what my experiment is about yet?
Believe it or not, this was a little experiment in the effectiveness of a framework in driving creativity and innovation.
Frameworks are the tools we use to implement our intentions, essentially moving goals and objectives into actions and results. At the fundamental level, frameworks are designed to limit our thinking and actions in a certain direction - in a good way. When a framework is well designed, it doesn’t restrict our possibilities, instead it channels our problem-solving and creative thinking towards a specific intention, optimizing that energy into achieving the desired end goal.
In the world of AI, and especially Responsible AI and Ethics, frameworks have gotten a bad rap. Instead of being seen as drivers for creativity and confidence, frameworks are often painted as blockers to innovation and things meant only to slow down AI development. In reality, frameworks are the essential key to implementing values into AI innovation to achieve real human impact.
Perhaps it’s time the tech world pulled out a pen and paper and was asked to draw what kind of future it is we are building for AI…
P.S. Share your drawings on LinkedIn and tag me with your thoughts to see the results of our community experiment!
The second of the Process elements, this week we are covering the Implement in the Values Canvas case studies series
The Values Canvas, a sneak peek into my upcoming book Responsible AI, is made up of three pillars: People, Process, and Technology. We’ve already covered the People pillar, with a look at its elements Educate, Motivate, and Communicate. Last week we moved onto the Process Pillar with the first element, Intent, so this week we are on to the second element, Implement.
From the story above, you may have already guessed that in this case study we are focusing frameworks, which is captured by the second Process element: Implement.
In this element, we are looking to fill the need to create a comprehensive and standard course of action for the execution of ethical values and practices. An Implement solution is any procedural framework designed to direct the execution of Responsible AI practices and ethical decision-making.
For this case study, we are switching things up and going from examples of private companies to the public sector and government procurement practices. Teaming up with Eddan Katz, I had the honor of bringing his experience with the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to life as we dug into how government procurement frameworks can be a driver for regulating industry norms.
To familiarize yourself with the Values Canvas, gain insight into my upcoming book Responsible AI, and get a visual on the categories of case studies to come, be sure to download your very own open-access copy below.
