4-Lens Scan
From Chapter 4 of AI and the Art of Being Human
What it is
A 90-second practice that makes visible what algorithms hide—the human stories, biases, and consequences that efficiency sometimes obscures.
Where you would use it
- 01
Before accepting any AI alert or recommendation
- 02
When an app suggests urgent action
- 03
When algorithmic scoring affects real people
- 04
Before making any AI-mediated decision about others
The tool
Four Lenses to reveal the invisible
- 01
Stakeholders
Who risks becoming invisible when we optimize and blindly follow AI? Name specific people the system doesn’t see
- 02
Bias Check
What assumptions are hiding in the code? What “normal” does it assume that excludes others?
- 03
Long-Term Ripples
What are the potential or possible long-term consequences of decisions and actions?
- 04
Inner State
What’s driving you—actual reality or the story the algorithm is telling? Fear or anxiety over what exactly?
How to use it
Take just 90 seconds. When an AI system pushes you to act, quickly scan all four lenses before responding. Ask yourself: Who else is affected? What bias is baked in? What type of future am I creating? Am I seeing real threats, or merely seeing what the app trained me to see? Write one insight from each lens if you have time. With practice, this becomes as natural as checking your mirrors before changing lanes while driving—a quick scan that prevents harm.
Try it