Brilliant here. Baffling there.
AI's abilities don't rise in a smooth line. It can ace a hard task and fumble an easy one next to it. Researchers call this the jagged frontier.
Often inside the frontier
Where It Shines
- Drafting, rewriting and changing tone
- Summarising long documents and calls
- Brainstorming options and first drafts
- Explaining concepts and first-pass code
Often outside the frontier
Where It Stumbles
- Exact counts and sums without a tool
- Recent events, unless search is on
- Your internal facts, unless you provide them
- Judgement calls on messy, conflicting evidence
Source: Harvard Business School Working Paper 24-013 ↗
Test it on your work. Don't assume.