153rd Edition
Never mind I’ll do it myself
At some point we are all going to have to decide what we don’t want AI to do for us. It seems inevitable that the list of tasks that AI will assume will continue to grow. We live in a world that is completely dedicated to, if not obsessed with, automation. Our economy and stock market rely on perpetual improvements in productivity. Even as I type this blog, trying to use only my original thoughts, AI is at work behind the scenes, trying to finish my sentences, compiling algorithms for who knows what future purpose.
Some people believe AI and other forms of technology should take over all mundane tasks, allowing us to spend time in more creative and meaningful endeavors. Really? Perhaps I am the only person who would prefer less technology in their life rather than more…
For whatever it’s worth, here is a list of tasks that AI can do that I prefer to do myself. First, I prefer to write slowly and thoughtfully. I relish the moments when I can reflect, reread and rephrase early drafts, searching for the exact words to best convey the true essence of what I am trying to say. My vocabulary isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be. I’m certainly no Pat Conroy, whose novels have long inspired me. I’ll never reach his level, although I aspire to get as close as I can. In short, I like to struggle as I write. I want the process to be laborious, even frustrating at times. Finding the right words, after multiple drafts, after chewing on them for a while, is intensely gratifying. Could AI speed up this process? Sure, but it would take all the enjoyment out of it.
Second, I have no interest in any form of virtual reality. I don’t want to play Pinehurst No. 2 in a simulator, or by wearing some kind of headset. I want to walk that storied golf course, early in the morning when the dew is still on the fairways. I want to feel the subtle undulations in the greens, and I want to feel the shifting winds blowing through the pine trees. I want to stand in the exact spot where tournaments have been won or lost. Try to make the same shot or same putt that great players have attempted. Most of all I want to hear the caddie’s banter, offering advice and a moment of humor to break the inevitable tension that comes with the great expectations of playing one of the world’s greatest golf courses. Virtual reality will never match this.
Third, I want to drive or be a passenger in a car with some other person. I have zero interest in a self-driving car. A drive is so much more than time spent getting from Point A to Point B. It is a time for conversation, for close friends to reconnect and for new friendships to be made. The next time you are going somewhere take somebody along. Instead of concentrating on the destination, focus on the journey.
Fourth, I do not want a remote job. I think it is the most destructive trend to impact corporate America in my lifetime (that just might be an understatement). The massive amount of wisdom, developed over decades by old fogies like me, is not being transferred to the younger generations and in many cases is being completely discarded. At the same time, remote workers often lack the essential interpersonal skills to establish and build trust, the foundation post of every successful organization. Data and metrics will never replace intuition, instincts, and experience, all of which are refined over time and cannot be forced or fabricated.
Last, but certainly not least, I prefer no role for AI in my spiritual journey. I don’t want to go faster, but I am open to going deeper. For me, a spiritual journey is a heart thing, not a head thing. It’s not so much an exercise to cram more knowledge into my brain as it is to sort through and ingrain God’s truths into my heart and my very being. It is a lifelong journey, never to be completed in this lifetime. AI may be able to quickly summarize passages in the Bible or the writings of theologians like C.S. Lewis and Thomas Merton, but knowledge quickly acquired can be knowledge quickly forgotten. Only a lifetime of study can be transformative.
The growing fear of the power and potential of AI isn’t surprising. Will it ultimately be a friend or foe of humanity? When the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, which ended WWII, many feared nuclear Armageddon was next. Eighty years later, here we are, still facing the eternal struggle of good vs. evil. God must wonder whether we will ever figure it out.
What are some of the things you would rather do yourself? Let’s go to lunch and talk about them. Or maybe talk about whatever is on your mind or in your heart. Leave AI at home. In the meantime, you might reflect on this verse, offering comfort to some and a warning to others… Be Still and Know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.