Thought for the week: What Joy Bubbles can teach us about AI career development

To begin your week, I recommend listening to the "Click Here" podcast that captured my attention this week. It tells the story of Joe Engressia, one of the early "phone phreaks" who learned how to hack the phone system to make long distance calls for free in the 1960s and '70s. 

Engressia, who later changed his name to Joy Bubbles, was born blind but with perfect pitch. He fell in love with the phone system. It was his sanctuary from a difficult childhood and a tool for building community. He could detect and reproduce the specific tones used by the phone switching system. 

According to the podcast, "He listened to the telephone in a way that a musician listens to music … he started noticing things that even the phone company didn't notice." Joy Bubbles eventually identified a vulnerability that the same line could be used for both voice and signaling. This meant that, after placing a local call and making certain whistling noises, a person could dial a long-distance phone call at no charge. He delighted his fellow students in college with his "superpower" to make free long-distance phone calls. His lifelong dream was to get a job with the telephone company. Although this dream was not realized, he did establish a proto-podcast hotline offering stories and comfort, reaching isolated people long before social media. 

So, what does Joy Bubbles' story have to do with AI career development?

It's an interesting time with artificial intelligence and career development. When I get a chance to slow down and have a real talk with professionals these days, particularly the younger ones, I often hear that they are concerned about whether AI will take their jobs. Ironically enough, this concern often surfaces somewhere in the midst of a recognition that the legal and compliance issues and risks they face in their work are more complicated and high stakes than ever. I usually get a chance to encourage them that this particular mix of conditions spells opportunity — not doom — and the secret is to find your superpower and capitalize. In the legal profession, the question is what CEO is going to rely on a bot to give mission-critical legal advice? How can interactions with a bot be protected by legal privilege? Spoiler alert: no privilege attaches.    

This is where Joy Bubbles' story comes into play. In many respects, life dealt him a difficult hand. Blind/disabled. Challenging childhood. Isolated. How did he respond? He listened. He dialed deep into his strength and figured out patterns in the phone. Heard elements that even the phone company did not perceive. He used it to get good at the technology, find ways to make connections with others and do something meaningful with his life.

What are some recommendations, particularly for younger professionals?

• Know yourself. What are your strengths? People/relationships. Technology. Analytics. Business processes. Listening. Identify your superpowers and build on them.

• Get in the game. Make sure to experiment with different AI tools, platforms, use cases. Get out and try. See what works. What doesn't work. For AI output in particular, don’t trust, but always verify.

• Take time to reflect. Don't assume that someone else has it figured out, and you'll just follow them. Reflect on what you are seeing and learning. You may see a path that others do not see. Don't discount your own experience, regardless of the level you are at.

• Have some fun.  As the great philosopher Ferris Bueller observed, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." The next five to 10 years will be a wild ride for most professionals. Try to have some fun and enjoy the ride. Disruption has its benefits.