Sometimes, throwing productivity goals, purpose, and measurable outcomes out of the window might be the most powerful way to thrive in a changing world
Everything useful I've learned about these tools came from tinkering on things that didn't matter, not from any "AI use cases for lawyers" webinar. The stakes have to be zero first.
This maps to surgical training in a useful way because not all learning shows up first as a measured outcome.
A resident may learn something important while exploring a simulator, trying to explain a setup choice, or noticing why a case plan feels different from the room. If AI makes every interaction immediately goal-directed, it can remove the lower-pressure space where pattern recognition starts forming.
The design question is what parts of exploration should stay playful and provisional, while still helping the next real attempt become more precise.
Thanks Stevan - and a really useful context here that I'll be following up on. This also maps onto the tacit knowledge associated with many other professions where formation that leads to ability which cannot easily be captured in metrics is critical
That tacit-knowledge point is exactly the boundary I keep coming back to. In clinical training, the valuable part is often not the measured artifact but the formation step before it: noticing a mismatch, trying an explanation, and then carrying a better question into the next attempt. AI can help if it protects that provisional layer instead of converting it immediately into performance evidence.
Really enjoyable to read and great focus on creative play. My colleague, Gerald Zaltman, an emeritus professor at Harvard Business School, most recent book, Dare to Think Differently (Stanford Business 2026), concerns open mindedness. He forwards six principles, one of them is “serious play” that you emphasize. Just thought you might like to know about it. A playful mind may have some connection to longevity. He’s 87 and still going strong.
Games, improv, and playful exploration are the future of learning! WITH - metacognitive reflections before and after.
Kudos to you for this exploration and thinking. Need more like this!
Everything useful I've learned about these tools came from tinkering on things that didn't matter, not from any "AI use cases for lawyers" webinar. The stakes have to be zero first.
This maps to surgical training in a useful way because not all learning shows up first as a measured outcome.
A resident may learn something important while exploring a simulator, trying to explain a setup choice, or noticing why a case plan feels different from the room. If AI makes every interaction immediately goal-directed, it can remove the lower-pressure space where pattern recognition starts forming.
The design question is what parts of exploration should stay playful and provisional, while still helping the next real attempt become more precise.
Thanks Stevan - and a really useful context here that I'll be following up on. This also maps onto the tacit knowledge associated with many other professions where formation that leads to ability which cannot easily be captured in metrics is critical
That tacit-knowledge point is exactly the boundary I keep coming back to. In clinical training, the valuable part is often not the measured artifact but the formation step before it: noticing a mismatch, trying an explanation, and then carrying a better question into the next attempt. AI can help if it protects that provisional layer instead of converting it immediately into performance evidence.
Really enjoyable to read and great focus on creative play. My colleague, Gerald Zaltman, an emeritus professor at Harvard Business School, most recent book, Dare to Think Differently (Stanford Business 2026), concerns open mindedness. He forwards six principles, one of them is “serious play” that you emphasize. Just thought you might like to know about it. A playful mind may have some connection to longevity. He’s 87 and still going strong.
Thanks Stephen - and this is very timely as I'm currently adding to my reading list. Cheers!