Being Human in an AI World

AI is a left-brain tool.

Logic. Patterns. Analysis. Probability. Structure. These are what AI does brilliantly. Better than any human, for many tasks.

But relationships? Taste? Judgment? Meaning?

These remain stubbornly, beautifully human.

The Boundary That Matters

I've been thinking about where AI should stop.

Not because it can't go further - it probably can, eventually. But because some things should remain human. Some connections require a soul on both ends.

The client call where you sense something unspoken. The creative instinct that breaks the rules. The judgment call that factors in things no dataset contains.

These aren't inefficiencies AI will eliminate. They're the point.

A Disturbing Trend

Here's something that worries me.

Research from Common Sense Media found that 1 in 4 teens who use AI chatbots see them as a source of emotional support. Character.AI reports users spending an average of 2 hours per session. These aren't brief tool interactions - they're relationship substitutes.

I get the appeal. AI is always available. Never judges. Remembers everything. Responds instantly. For anyone who finds human connection difficult, that's compelling.

But the skills that make human relationships work - vulnerability, compromise, reading nonverbal cues, tolerating imperfection - don't develop through AI interaction. They might actually atrophy. And optimizing for fake connection might make us worse at real ones.

Where AI Should Augment, Not Replace

AI should make you better at human things. Not replace the human things entirely.

Use AI to prepare for client calls - not instead of client calls. Use AI to generate creative options - not to have taste. Use AI to analyze data - not to make judgment calls about what matters.

The augmented human is more capable than either human or AI alone. But only if the human part stays engaged.

The Professional Implication

The skills that matter most going forward are the ones AI is worst at.

Empathy. Relationship-building. Understanding context that isn't explicit. Making people feel heard.

These were always valuable. Now they're essential.

If you can do what AI does, you're replaceable. If you can do what AI can't, you're irreplaceable.

A Commitment

I'm committing to keep the human parts human.

To have conversations instead of just sending reports. To trust my judgment even when it contradicts the data. To remember that behind every account is a person with hopes and fears and a business they're trying to build.

AI is a tool. A powerful one. But the humanity in your work isn't a bug to be automated away.

It's the feature.