One of the most relationship-breaking things one can say today is “I support AI.” If there were ever a villain among villains, it would be artificial intelligence. Like the Commandant in Captain EO by the late Michael Jackson, it is here to change the world. Now, I don’t fear AI, nor do I see it as my mortal enemy. It is not a monster derived from machinations. But I get why people feel that way. Something is unsettling about a technology that seems to think for itself.

That said, this post isn’t particularly about AI. Rather, it will serve as a launch pad for what it is I really want to say.

 The Skill Behind the Tool

Here’s the thing about working with AI: it requires a certain skillset, especially if you want to get the returns you’re actually looking for. It’s not just an input-and-dash-type situation. You have to know the right questions to ask to get the output you want. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.

But here’s what I find interesting. This is not a new practice. In fact, it is a practice as old as time and one that is necessary for just about anything worthwhile. So while we’re talking about AI on the surface, what we’re really talking about is something much more fundamental. We’re talking about the questions we ask.

 A Lesson from the Past

Let me take you back a bit. Years ago, when I had settled into my college years, one of the institution’s chief aims was to teach students how to conduct research. Now, anyone can conduct a search. That’s the easy part. But conducting research correctly is what yields the best results. That distinction mattered then, and it still matters now. To sharpen that skill, they taught us the art of Boolean searches.

Back then, the flavor of the day was helping individuals find the information they needed in the emerging age of the interwebs. The internet was still relatively new, and there was a lot of noise to sift through. The pertinence of instructing people on how to search, keywords to use, and what to look for in the slush pile of information was of utmost importance. The goal was simple: help people find exactly what they were looking for without drowning in irrelevance.

Anyone who recognizes the basis of this finds it easy to understand a simple truth. While the technology may change, the reasonable use of it has not. The tools evolve, but the principles remain the same.

 The Heart of the Matter

So what does it all boil down to? Discernment. Knowing what to ask. That’s the heart of the matter.

We all have questions. We all want to walk in understanding. It’s human nature to seek answers, especially when the world feels uncertain.

Take one of the hottest issues right now: Hantavirus. This scares us, and understandably so. It carries the mimicry of the way other pandemics started, and we’ve all lived through enough to know how quickly things can spiral. Somehow, being informed feels like it would inoculate us, like knowledge alone could prevent the repetition of history.

And in many ways, that instinct is right. One thing is sure: the fault never lies in asking questions. In fact, the most powerful tool we can wield to aid in the continuance of our existence is inquiring for the purpose of understanding. Curiosity keeps us alive. It keeps us prepared.

But here’s the catch. Asking questions alone is not what will become the ultimate shield and buckler. All questions can be answered. That doesn’t mean the answer is correct, and it certainly doesn’t mean it’s the true answer one is looking for. Misinformation is everywhere, and it wears the mask of truth far too convincingly these days.

 Quality Over Quantity

This is why what matters most is the quality of the questions asked. What we ask and how we ask are the ultimate determiners of whether salvation or destruction is nigh. A poorly framed question leads to a poorly framed answer. A lazy search leads to lazy conclusions. And in a world where information is abundant but wisdom is scarce, we cannot afford to be careless.

So we must train ourselves. We must learn the right questions to ask, the correct way to search, and how to needle through the information until we find something that is salient and necessary. It takes patience. It takes practice. But it is a skill worth honing.

The technology will continue to evolve. The tools will change hands and faces. AI will grow smarter, search engines will grow more complex, and the flood of information will only increase. But the fundamental skill of asking the right questions will remain the cornerstone of understanding.

Master that, and you master the ability to navigate whatever comes next.