ChatGPT's "faster horse" problem

Why the iterative approach falls short

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Henry Ford was adamant that, when it came to innovation, human beings are simpletons.

We see technology through the lens of incremental change — not tectonic shifts that rearrange the entire playing field.

In my countless conversations with knowledge workers (including private equity investors) about how they use AI, there’s a recurring theme: how can ChatGPT make me 10% more productive at work?

(The more ambitious folks aim for 30-50%.)

But in our quest to become faster horses, are we missing the bigger picture?

The tectonic shift in basketball

Let’s quickly look at the evolution of basketball over the past two decades.

When I grew up in the 80s, the roles of players were very well defined.