What Space Jam can teach us about working alongside GenAI
Even as more companies go AI-first...
Yet another tech company has become “AI-first.”
The language-learning app Duolingo will “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle,” cofounder and CEO Luis von Ahn announced recently on LinkedIn.
Even as some observers claim that GenAI isn’t actually replacing workers, news like Duolingo’s hiring shift would suggest otherwise. So, it’s not surprising that many workers are in turn growing anxious about competing directly against GenAI agents and tools that can mimic much of human knowledge and expertise.
Even as we increasingly adopt and embrace GenAI, we humans should be on the lookout for any kind of edge. While doing some “research” this weekend, I stumbled on an unlikely source of inspiration - the 1996 movie Space Jam, starring Michael Jordan (and Bugs Bunny).
When we think about Space Jam, we often remember the cartoon antics, impossible physics, and, of course, Michael Jordan soaring from half-court for the game-winning dunk (spoiler alert!). But beneath all the fun lies an unexpectedly relevant metaphor for today’s workplaces navigating the rise of Generative AI.
Below we share our top Space Jam-inspired insights.
But first...
5 things to know
📰 Quote: “As Levy's research confirms, models like ChatGPT are not performing mathematical calculations but rather predicting the next word or number in a sequence based on probabilities derived from their training data. In finance, this inability to perform accurate calculations is a critical weakness.” [Forbes]
▶️ Video: Vista Equity Partners CEO on the impact of GenAI | Yahoo Finance
🎤 GenAI Prompt: You work in the […] industry. Imagine a startup that is trying to disrupt the market leader in this sector. What customer pain points are they likely targeting?
🎓 Learning: Generative AI Explained - NVIDIA. In this free no-coding course, learn Generative AI concepts, applications, and challenges.
📅 Event: How to Shift Organizational Culture to Embrace AI | Gartner - Date: May 14, 2025| 8:00 am PT (11:00 am ET)
Michael Jordan vs. GenAI
For those of you who haven’t seen the movie (or it’s been a while), here’s a quick overview according to Google:
Swackhammer, an evil alien theme park owner, needs a new attraction at Moron Mountain. When his gang, the Nerdlucks [also known as the Monstars], heads to Earth to kidnap Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, Bugs challenges them to a basketball game to determine their fate. The aliens agree, but they steal the powers of NBA basketball players -- so Bugs gets some help from superstar Michael Jordan.
In our metaphor, the Monstars represent GenAI’s vast power. They mimic the talents of elite NBA players - using those skills to dominate the Looney Tunes. There’s a clear parallel to the state of Generative AI today, which was trained on volumes and volumes of human-generated knowledge - far deeper than any single person possesses.
The Monstars possessed technology that let them absorb human expertise and perform tasks with unnatural speed and accuracy. From a business perspective, GenAI possesses similar capabilities - letting humans replicate tasks beyond the boundary of their competence or understanding.
When the big game between the Looney Tunes and the Monstars kicks off, the Monstars seem unstoppable. Just like GenAI tools today, they are built on absorbed knowledge and operational excellence. They are powerful, quick, and thoroughly intimidating. But somehow, the Looney Tunes win. How?
Because they refuse to play a conventional game.
Instead of trying to out-muscle the Monstars directly, the Tunes embrace their own secret tool: their cartoon identity. They defy the laws of physics, stretch their limbs, summon objects out of thin air, and play with a kind of improvisational creativity the Monstars can’t predict - let alone replicate. Their edge was from embracing creativity rather than conventional skill.
And this is where human workers should be focusing as GenAI becomes increasingly widespread.
The human edge in a GenAI world
Although creative in its own right, GenAI (much like the Monstars) is ultimately biased by inputs it was trained on. Human creativity, on the other hand, offers us an edge - the ability to create new frames of thought not found in existing sources.
Like the Looney Tunes & Michael Jordan, the most successful teams in business will be those who reimagine their roles alongside AI - instead of trying to outwork GenAI.
Here are three strategic implications inspired by Space Jam:
Don’t just automate - reimagine
Use GenAI not to copy what’s already working (the Monstars’ approach), but to explore ideas that weren’t previously possible. Think like a Looney Tune: what could your team accomplish if the constraints of time and effort (and physics?) were relaxed?Foster a culture of curiosity, not compliance
While the Monstars were rigid in their game strategy, the Looney Tunes were adaptive, creative, and willing to experiment. A healthy GenAI culture should reflect this by rewarding experimentation, risk-taking, and creativity.Focus on meaning and purpose
The Looney Tunes’ success was in part driven by their deep desperation and desire to win. The Monstars were, of course, following the directive of their leader. Drive your team to success by doubling down on your purpose and let that inspire you to solve the most important problems - not just create more output, quicker.
In summary: the Looney Tunes won because they played a different kind of game. They amplified their skills by bending the acknowledged laws of nature, much like we might amplify our own abilities with GenAI tools.
As GenAI becomes more prevalent, the challenge for human workers isn’t to become more like machines. It’s to become more human than ever - in all our unpredictability, imagination, and creativity.
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Adventure on.