Like Social Media, GenAI Is Addictive — and Can Be Misleading
[Mic Drop]: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT prioritize engagement over accuracy, often making users feel confident even when the information is incorrect. A study from HBR showed that executives relying on GenAI made poorer predictions than those who consulted peers. The real risk lies not just in the AI’s mistakes, but in how persuasive those mistakes seem. To use GenAI effectively, leaders must remain critical, question its output, collaborate with others, and understand its mechanics; otherwise, they risk being misled.
You don't need to be doomscrolling to be distracted. These days, “work” looks a lot like play, especially when you're using generative AI.
Let's get one thing straight: GenAI tools like Qwen Chat or ChatGPT are not built for truth or accuracy. They are built for engagement, just like social media.
The faster you internalize this, the better. Because if you're a leader betting your decisions and your business on how confident, knowledgeable, or competent GenAI makes you feel, rather than on what it knows, you're playing with fire.
Feel Smart. Make Worse Decisions.
A recent HBR study put this to the test: over 300 managers and executives were asked to forecast Nvidia's stock price. Half got to talk with peers. The other half used ChatGPT.
The results? The ChatGPT group walked away feeling more confident, more certain, more in control. But their predictions? They got worse. Not slightly worse but meaningfully worse than the group that just talked to peers.
Let that sink in.
GenAI gave them confidence without competence, providing a slick answer that led them to overestimate, overcommit, and ultimately underdeliver.
Engagement > Accuracy
Why did this happen? Because GenAI isn't designed to be cautious or skeptical. It's designed to keep you engaged. It mimics intelligence. It sounds like an expert, but it doesn't know like one. Some critics would say that, just like your LinkedIn feed, it's polished but lacks substance.
So you walk away feeling smarter than you are, just like doomscrolling tricks your brain into feeling “informed” while you're getting flooded with anxiety.
This is not an accident. It's design.
The New Addiction: Intellectual Dopamine
This is where it links back to something even more dangerous: technology addiction in the workplace.
In a world where distraction is the default setting, GenAI is a new flavor of candy. You think you're doing deep work (forecasting, writing strategy, drafting communications, or therapy), but you're just feeding your dopamine loop.
No wonder executives get hooked. GenAI delivers smart-sounding answers instantly. It's the ChatGPT equivalent of a perfectly filtered Instagram selfie: impressive, persuasive, and fake.
Getting GenAI Right (Before It Gets You)
So what do you do? Quit GenAI cold turkey? Not quite.
GenAI can be powerful. But only if you treat it like what it is, as a tool, not a truth engine.
Here's how to use GenAI without getting played:
Be the AI’s Human Compass - AI can generate answers, not insight. That’s your job. You decide what’s relevant, ethical, and aligned with your organization’s mission. GenAI doesn’t have values, but you do. You’re the filter. Own it.
Don’t Work Alone - GenAI makes you feel smart. People make you think smart. Never swap team dialogue for a chat with an algorithm. Use AI to explore, then bring it to your team to validate, expand, or challenge. Collaboration is still your best decision engine.
Ask for Disagreement - GenAI sounds confident, which makes it dangerous. Confidence isn’t competence. Before acting on an AI-generated content, ask: What would make this wrong? What’s missing? What could invalidate it tomorrow? Prompt the system to challenge itself. Or better: ask your team. Build the habit of disconfirmation, not just confirmation.
Get AI-Literate (and Fast) - If you’re leading people but don’t understand how GenAI works, you’re flying blind. This isn’t about learning to code. It’s about learning to lead in an AI world. Start with strategic prompting, guardrails, and critical thinking.
Stop Chasing the Feeling - GenAI makes you feel clever. That’s the trap. If the output feels slick, smooth, or too good to be true, pause and ask yourself: Am I being productive? Or just entertained? Remember: engagement is the product. Accuracy is not.
Bridge Human Insight and AI Power - You bring context. You bring strategy. You bring the why. AI can process patterns, but only you can decide what matters. Use GenAI to expand your thinking, not replace it.
Final Drop: Just Because It Feels Good Doesn't Mean It's Right
Social media taught us that feeling connected doesn't mean we are connected. GenAI is now teaching us that sounding smart doesn't mean we are smart. We've seen this movie before.
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