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I'm good at delegating to people. Or at least, I've gotten better at it over the years.
I know how to hand off a project with clear context. I know how to check in without micromanaging. I know when to step back and let someone figure it out on their own.
Delegating to AI is a different skill entirely.
Why it feels different
When I delegate to an engineer, I know what they can and can't do. I know when they need help. I know when to push back if something seems off.
With AI, I'm still building that instinct.
It's confident when it's wrong. It doesn't ask clarifying questions when it should. It gives me an answer even when the right move would be to tell me it doesn't have enough context. I'm learning to spot the difference between "good enough" and "totally off," but I'm not there yet.
Last week I wrote about the risk of AI sucking the joy out of work. I still believe that's a real danger. But I've also realized I was treating this like an all-or-nothing decision. Either I hand everything over and trust it completely, or I avoid it entirely.
That's not how delegation works with people. Why would it work that way with AI?
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