Crowston, Kevin, and Francesco Bolici. “Deskilling and Upskilling With Generative AI Systems”. Working Paper, 2024.
Abstract
<p>Deskilling is a long-standing prediction of the use of information technology, raised anew by the increased capabilities of generative AI (GAI) systems. A review of studies of GAI applications suggests that deskilling (or levelling of ability) is a common outcome. We propose a model of a human interacting with a GAI system for a task that suggests settings more likely to yield deskilling vs. upskilling. The model highlights the possibility for a worker to develop and exhibit (or not) skills in prompting for, and evaluation and editing of system output.
Year of Publication
2024
Series Title
Working paper