This happened to a friend last week. Actually, that’s not true. It was me. Not sure why I was saying “a friend,” but I think I was trying to distance myself from the whole ridiculous situation.
I was renewing a mortgage with a new lender. They ran everything through the system. I’d been approved (yay) and we were ready to sign. Then it came back with a new requirement that no one had asked for before: flood insurance.
Makes sense right? Except the property is 45 meters up a hill – which is very clearly shown on the property description and appraisal. I even provided an engineering diagram showing the elevation.
How would you react?
Mine was pretty simple:
Do you really think I’m going trust you, and bank with you, when the system says one thing and nobody stops to ask whether it makes sense?
Bye. Bye.
These sorts of things can happen when we rely too heavily on technology to make decisions for us. Yes we need technology and AI.
But it cannot replace your judgment.
Use the technology. But please, please PUHLEEZ, don’t outsource your thinking to it.
So the next time you’re working with AI remember this: AI informs, but you decide.
For an in-depth discussion of what AI means for leaders, teams, and the future of work, check out my conversation with Sarah McVanel below. 👇
Mortgage update: I easily renewed my mortgage with another lender. My insurance company and I had a good laugh about this bank asking for flood insurance on a property 45 metres up a hill. The insurance folks said, “If your property flooded – it would be end of days!” I’ll leave it at that.
Thanks for supporting me and my work. I hope you had a great summer, and feel rested and re-energized for the fall!