# Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI: an accessible, practical guide to understanding artificial intelligence

Author: Fernando Nieto Lobato
Original publication: 2024-06-19
Spanish original: https://estrategiabyaleph.substack.com/p/estrategia-38-descubra-las-cuatro
English URL: https://elcontemplador.github.io/estrategia-english/essays/038/
Status: Published translation

This is a translation of the original Spanish essay published on 19 June 2024. Its claims, examples and forecasts retain that historical context.

English publication: 2026-09-29

*English edition note: the four rules and the book’s concepts below are translated from the Spanish article. Their original English formulation has not been independently checked; the book’s English title is retained.*

[Ethan Mollick](https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/emollick/#overview), a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, released his book *[Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/)* in the US last April. It is a detailed and original exploration of how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live and work. Mollick offers a deep, well-documented view of the subject, alongside practical strategies for making the most of AI in different contexts.

[![Cover of Ethan Mollick's Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, showing a hand holding an apple.](https://elcontemplador.github.io/estrategia-english/assets/images/d25f0835-af9f-4e9b-bb13-2eb5d0920433_993x1500.png)](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/)

*Original cover of Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI.*

Having recently read it and found it very interesting and stimulating, I thought it would be worth reviewing the book here to recommend it to you. It is probably the first book about AI that would come to mind right now for introducing people without advanced knowledge to this field. I also want to **share some of the volume’s most interesting concepts**, besides the different scenarios for AI’s development that [we presented two weeks ago](https://open.substack.com/pub/estrategiabyaleph/p/estrategia-36-innovaciones-en-ia?r=2tyybn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) in an Ethan Mollick [video](https://youtu.be/d4f1jqb3Yis?si=4hZYNdRuRN0xyFHY) in the recommendation of the week section.

## Ethan Mollick’s four rules in Co-Intelligence

In Chapter 3, the author sets out four interesting rules for working and coexisting with AI:

### 1. Always invite AI to the table

Invite AI to participate in everything you do, unless there are legal or ethical barriers. Experimenting with AI lets you become familiar with its capabilities and limitations, which is crucial given how quickly the technology is advancing. Experimentation positions you as an expert in its use, allowing you to identify innovations and improvements in your everyday work. AI can also offer an alternative perspective that helps improve decision-making.

### 2. Be the human in the process

AI works best with human supervision. It is essential to maintain an active role, checking the accuracy and reliability of the information it generates. This prevents AI from producing incorrect answers and ensures that decisions and outcomes align with human values and ethical standards. Being part of the process also helps you develop skills and adapt to new ways of thinking and solving problems.

### 3. Treat AI as a person, but define what kind of person it is

Although AI has neither consciousness nor emotions, imagining it as a person can make interaction easier. Clearly define the AI’s “personality” according to the task, whether as an expert, a critic or a friend. This personalisation improves the quality and relevance of its responses. However, always maintain a critical perspective and remember that AI is not a conscious being.

### 4. Assume this is the worst AI you will ever use

Bear in mind that, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman constantly reminds us in every interview, today’s AI is the least advanced you will ever use in your lifetime. Technology is evolving continually, and AI’s capabilities will keep improving. Maintain an open and adaptable mindset to take advantage of future innovations and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving technological environment.

Besides those four rules, another concept in Professor Mollick’s book particularly caught my attention, and I would like to introduce it to you:

## Centaurs and cyborgs

The book presents two key approaches to integrating artificial intelligence into work: centaurs and cyborgs, based on collaboration between humans and machines.

### Centaurs: clearly defined collaboration

**Centaur work is characterised by a clear division of tasks between humans and machines, similar to the distinction between the human and animal parts of a mythological centaur.** In this approach, specific tasks are assigned to artificial intelligence and others to the human, drawing on each one’s strengths.

For example, in a campaign analysing public opinion, AI analyses large volumes of social media and survey data to identify opinion trends and issues relevant to voters. It uses natural language processing techniques to detect shifts in sentiment and the population’s prevailing concerns. The human team, meanwhile, reviews the AI-generated reports and decides which of these issues and concerns should be prioritised in the campaign. Human experts also interpret nuances and cultural contexts that AI might not fully capture, such as local sensitivities or complex social dynamics.

### Cyborgs: deep integration

**The cyborg approach involves deeper integration between human and machine, with both working in tandem without a clear dividing line.** Here, tasks are interwoven, allowing dynamic and continuous collaboration.

To illustrate this cyborg approach, imagine a political campaign needing a persuasive speech for a candidate’s key public appearance. The human writer begins by writing the speech’s introduction, establishing its tone and main themes. They then use an AI-assisted writing tool to complete sentences and generate ideas for the following paragraphs. The AI produces several alternative versions of those paragraphs, offering different approaches and styles. The writer reviews these versions, selects the best parts of each and edits them to maintain coherence and the appropriate tone.

Fernando Nieto Lobato

*Director of Digital Innovation at the ALEPH Educational Institution*