Thesis: AI can learn, predict, and scale, but only humans can care. Power without wisdom risks harm; agency is choosing values, speed, and safeguards on purpose.
1) A New Kind of Mirror
- A teen asks an AI about a friend.
- A banker predicts markets.
- A pastor checks a verse.
Every day, people turn to machines that learn from us. The question is simple: will AI shape us, or will we shape it?
2) From Tools to Agents
- Tools wait; agents act.
- Modern AI learns, reasons, and makes choices inside boundaries.
Challenge: learn to live with something that acts and grows beside us.
3) What AI Learns from Us
“Children learn more from what they see than what they hear.” — paraphrasing Harari
AI learns from behavior, not slogans.
- If leaders cut corners, systems will mimic it.
- If firms prize profit over truth, models absorb the signal.
First lesson: trust. Honest machines won’t survive in a dishonest culture.
4) Power Without Wisdom
We are excellent at gaining power (cities, planes, chips) and worse at cultivating wisdom (peace, meaning).
AI multiplies power; we must convert power into care.
5) The Human Choice
- AI can cure, create, and coordinate—or harm at scale.
- Agency = we choose what, how fast, and according to which values.
AI is not destiny; we still hold the steering wheel.
6) Slowing Down the Race
Speed without safety is risk.
- Share evaluations and red-teaming.
- Pause high-risk deployments.
- Align incentives with long-term outcomes.
We don’t lose power by slowing; we show wisdom.
7) Many AIs, Many Worlds
- Millions of models across banks, clinics, schools, churches.
- A new socio-technical fabric that can’t be lab-simulated.
Outcomes will emerge from human choices, trust, and cooperation.
8) The Digital Immigrants
AIs are “digital immigrants”—they arrive at light speed, enter our jobs and culture.
- Clear rules + fair values → contribution.
- Ambiguity → tension and harm.
9) How to Keep Our Agency (practical moves)
- Leaders: disclose where AI is used; reward truth; set escalation paths.
- Teams: log model decisions; test for bias, privacy, misuse; review impact.
- Individuals: double-check before sharing; prefer clarity over virality.
Small habits stack into a culture AI can learn from.
10) A Mirror of Ourselves
- Teach honesty → models reflect honesty.
- Teach greed → systems amplify greed.
Technology won’t heal divisions; cooperation will.
11) The Path from Power to Wisdom
Choose to think, pause, and care.
- Wisdom over speed
- Truth over comfort
- Trust over fear
AI can learn; humans choose. The future of AI depends on us. Walk with wisdom—and remain the authors of the story.
Agency Checklist (print & use)
- ❏ State the user and stakes for each AI use.
- ❏ Define help date (first real benefit), not just ship date.
- ❏ Publish a safety card: data, limits, human fallback.
- ❏ Run harm tests (false positives/negatives) and log mitigations.
- ❏ Review values vs. velocity monthly; adjust speed accordingly.
