Ikusasa le-AI

A useful forecast states its assumptions, time horizon, and evidence. Predictions about transformative capabilities should not be presented as established facts or inevitable outcomes.

Okuthathwayo okubalulekile

• Separate observations from predictions.
• State assumptions and measurable criteria.
• Update forecasts when evidence changes.

Separate current observations from extrapolation. A demonstrated result under controlled conditions does not establish when a reliable product will be available or how widely it will be adopted. Deployment adds constraints such as cost, safety, infrastructure, and maintenance. Use scenarios when uncertainty is large. Describe what would happen if progress is faster, slower, or uneven across tasks. Identify which decisions remain useful across several plausible futures and which depend on a particular prediction being correct. Choose indicators that can update the assessment. Examples include independently reproduced task performance, sustained reliability, cost per completed task, and evidence of adoption in real workflows. A new product announcement is different from independent confirmation of its capabilities. Review forecasts over time. Record what was predicted, by when, and what would count as a miss. Avoid moving the definition after the outcome is known. Forecasts can inform preparation without being treated as guarantees or substitutes for present-day evidence.

1. Replace the invented prediction “AI will soon automate this workflow” with a dated, measurable claim.
2. Specify the tasks, acceptable error rate, operating cost, and amount of human review required.
3. At the deadline, compare the evidence with the original criteria and revise the forecast openly if the criteria were not met.

The exercise improves the quality of a forecast without pretending to know the future.