Return of the ‘greybeards’: AI backfired

Age: There’s a clue in the name.

I’m thinking old, and probably male? Most likely. Certainly human, that’s the main thing.

Are ZZ Top back on the road? No … Actually, yes! But this isn’t about them.

Who is it about then? Veteran engineers, working for Ford Motor Company in the US.

Oh dear, I think I know how this story goes: hundreds of longstanding workers get laid off because of automation and artificial intelligence … That kinda was how the story was going; the company has 5,000 fewer workers than it did in 2020. Recently, though, there’s been an unexpected twist.

Ooh, I love those, go on. Over the past three years, the company has hired 350 veteran engineers – known as “greybeards” (or “graybeards” if you’re reading this in the US) – made up of former Ford employees and workers from suppliers.

Excellent news! Why, though? I’m guessing it’s not because – despite the threat from the massive acceleration going on in the Chinese automotive industry – Ford has suddenly discovered its charitable side? No. It’s more about doing the things that AI proved to be a bit rubbish at.

AI replaced with human beings, man bites dog! Go on! Not quite replaced. But they discovered that the hundreds of AI-powered cameras they were using, including for design and manufacturing checks, were prone to pitfalls.

Because? To quote Ford’s vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, Charles Poon: “Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it.”

Hmm, now who would have that kind of knowhow and experience, I wonder? “Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles,” Poon said.

“Who have been with us through many product cycles”, Mr Poon – they’re people, remember. True. With facial hair to prove it.

So the AI gets chucked on the scrapheap and the “greybeards” come back through the factory gates, singing, like elves … In the fairytale version maybe.

And in the real version? A combination of the two. Ford said that AI is very important to quality gains, “and that, in tandem with deep technical expertise, is what’s needed”.

Yeah, until all that expertise has been successfully transferred to the machines. And the human becomes redundant. Not just from work, but existentially. Argggghhh!

Do say: “Pssst! Yes, you, comrade greybeard. Let’s teach this one wrong, introduce a few glitches, so there may even be a few jobs left for our kids …”

Don’t say: “Wait, who are these cars of the future even for? Our robot overlords?”