Why we should use AI to expand what it means to be human | Sari Azout

SUMMARY

IDEAS:

• The dominant question, "Will AI replace humans?", often starts discussions, indicating pervasive underlying anxieties about technology.

• Comparing "Will AI replace humans?" to "How's the weather?" highlights its common yet often superficial nature.

• Humanity instinctively frames remarkable achievements like AI as a threat, revealing deep-seated fears about our place.

• The term "Artificial Intelligence" originated from a 1955 funding pitch, strategically designed to be catchy and exciting.

• John McCarthy coined "Artificial Intelligence" to attract funding, demonstrating how language choice frames technological perception early on.

• Language is not merely a communication tool; it actively influences and shapes our thoughts and perceptions.

• Writing with a human editor is perceived as collaborative, while using AI is often negatively judged as lazy.

• The same activity, writing assistance, evokes vastly different emotional responses depending on whether it's human or AI.

• Changing our vocabulary, such as using "Collective Intelligence" for AI, can significantly alter our reality and perception.

• Artist Holly Herndon suggests "AI" is a misnomer; "Collective Intelligence" (CI) is a more accurate descriptor for technology.

• LLMs are essentially advanced statistical tools for aggregating and connecting vast amounts of existing human intelligence.

• Framing AI use as "writing with CI" transforms its perception to resourceful and a way of knowledge-leveraging.

• Not utilizing "Collective Intelligence" could soon be viewed as ignoring valuable resources, akin to dismissing expert advice.

• A single word's framing can profoundly distort our entire perception of reality, creating significant, often unnoticed, blind spots.

• Beyond mere functionality, it is crucial to observe how AI tools make us feel and alter our humanity.

• The first reality gap: AI doesn't just reduce workload; it expands possibilities, thus increasing expectations and more work.

• The dream of robots doing our jobs for increased leisure is often a paradox; AI frequently creates new tasks.

• Historically, "labor-saving" technologies like washing machines paradoxically led to increased standards and often more, not less, work.

• Technology's primary impact isn't just easing old tasks but establishing entirely new, higher standards of output and performance.

• The crucial test for human work in the AI era becomes: "Is this un-LLM-able?" highlighting unique contributions.

• Truly valuable human work will carry the unmistakable fingerprint of creativity, unique perspective, and lived personal experience.

• AI makes average performance attainable by anyone, thereby significantly raising the bar for what is considered truly exceptional.

• The second reality gap: AI doesn't replace expertise; it fundamentally changes its nature to guiding and evaluating AI.

• True expertise in the AI age lies in skillfully shaping inputs and critically evaluating the outputs of LLMs.

• The critical differentiator in AI-assisted work is not the tool, but the human operator's insight and expertise.

• Expertise is shifting from mere task execution to guiding AI, evaluating its work, and discerning valuable creative prompts.

• The value of AI-driven creation, like modern art, lies in knowing it was worth doing, when, and how.

• Thomas Edison's "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" may flip with AI to 99% inspiration, 1% perspiration for genius.

• The third reality gap: Instead of machines becoming more human, humans are increasingly becoming more machine-like in behavior.

• Our societal obsession with metrics often drives us to behave more like algorithms, prioritizing quantifiable outputs.

• We often try to measure what we truly value, but inevitably end up valuing what we can easily measure.

• What can be easily measured often tends to be the mechanical, less nuanced aspects of performance or value.

• AI acts as a mirror, compelling us to confront deep philosophical questions about our values and essential humanity.

• The most significant challenges with AI are not technological but deeply philosophical, ethical, and about our worldviews.

• A crucial mental shift is from seeing ourselves primarily as "knowledge workers" to "creative human beings" first.

• AI replacing humans is like children replacing parents; it's a natural evolution dependent on our wise guidance.

• AI can free humans from machine-like tasks, allowing us to reclaim and cultivate uniquely human qualities and endeavors.

• Adopting principles like intellectual humility and kindness is crucial for navigating discourse in the age of AI.

INSIGHTS

• The language we use to describe AI fundamentally shapes our relationship with it and its perceived threat.

• "Artificial Intelligence" as a term was a marketing choice, not an inherent descriptor, influencing decades of perception.

• Our fear of AI replacing humans reflects a deeper anxiety about our own value and purpose in a changing world.

• The true power of AI might be "Collective Intelligence," augmenting human capabilities rather than merely mimicking them individually.

• While AI can automate tasks, it also raises expectations and creates new kinds of work, not simply more leisure.

• The benchmark for human value is shifting towards "un-LLM-able" qualities: creativity, perspective, and lived experience.

• Expertise isn't obsolete with AI; it evolves into guiding AI, evaluating its output, and knowing what to create.

• Humans are at risk of becoming more machine-like by over-optimizing for metrics AI excels at, losing nuanced values.

• AI's greatest impact may be forcing humanity to define what it truly means to be human and creative.

• Reframing our identity from "knowledge workers" to "creative human beings" is key to thriving alongside AI.

• Technology, including AI, is not our rival but applied human knowledge, an extension of our own capabilities.

• The mission and values embedded in AI development are critical, as AI is an ideological blank canvas.

• Fear of AI replacement can be re-contextualized as the natural progression of creation, like children succeeding parents.

• AI offers an opportunity to delegate mechanical tasks, freeing us to focus on inherently human pursuits and values.

• Principled engagement online—intellectual humility, careful wording, kindness—becomes even more vital with AI's influence.

QUOTES:

• "Will AI replace humans? It's the how's the weather of AI discourse, right?" - Speaker

• "Why when faced with one of humanity's most remarkable achievements, we instinctively frame it as a threat to ourselves." - Speaker

• "Artificial intelligence sounded exciting. And it worked." - Speaker

• "And just like that, this choice of words became the defining frame through which we experience this technology." - Speaker

• "We often think of language as a means to an end, but rarely think about how language itself influences our thinking." - Speaker

• "If you're writing with the help of AI, you're lazy, cheating, inauthentic." - Speaker

• "AI is actually a huge disservice of a term, and that collective intelligence is a far more accurate." - Holly Herndon (as quoted by speaker)

• "If you're writing with the help of CI, you're resourceful and leveraging the best of human knowledge." - Speaker

• "AI expands what's possible, raises expectations, and creates more work." - Speaker

• "Technology doesn't just make old tasks easier. It creates entirely new standards." - Speaker

• "Is this un-LLM-able? By which I mean, does this work carry the unmistakable fingerprint of human creativity, perspective, and lived experience?" - Speaker

• "AI makes average attainable by anyone, and therefore raises the bar for what is considered exceptional." - Speaker

• "Human beings will not [be commoditized]. We are un-LLM-able." - Speaker

• "The expertise here is not in doing the work. It's in guiding the work, in evaluating the work, in knowing what is worth prompting." - Speaker

• "Modern art equals, you could do that plus, yes, but you didn't." - Speaker

• "I think it's going to flip and maybe be like 99% inspiration, 1% perspiration." - Speaker

• "We worry AI will replace writers, but half the internet is engagement farmers on LinkedIn selling five ways to 10x your creativity by 6:00 AM." - Speaker

• "We try to measure what we value, but inevitably end up valuing what we measure." - Speaker

• "The biggest problems are not technological. They are philosophical. They are questions of values, ethics, and worldviews." - Speaker

• "WTF is a knowledge worker? You are a creative human being." - Speaker

• "Products are not neutral. They are opinions embedded in pixels." - Speaker

• "Yes. But fearing that AI will replace us is like fearing that our children will replace us." - Speaker

• "Do the work required to have an opinion." - On-screen text

• "Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind." - On-screen text

• "Cultivate intellectual humility." - On-screen text

• "Choose your words carefully." - On-screen text

• "Be kind, even if you are right." - On-screen text

HABITS

• Consciously choose vocabulary to frame new technologies, understanding that words shape perception and reality.

• Actively seek to understand how new tools make one feel, not just their functional capabilities.

• Develop the skill of crafting detailed, expert-level prompts to guide AI tools effectively for superior results.

• Regularly question if one's work is "un-LLM-able," focusing on unique human creativity and perspective.

• Prioritize inspiration and defining what is worth doing, as AI handles more of the "perspiration" or execution.

• Resist the urge to become machine-like by optimizing solely for easily quantifiable metrics in creative endeavors.

• Engage in philosophical reflection about values, ethics, and worldviews in relation to technological advancements.

• Reframe one's professional identity from a mere "knowledge worker" to a "creative human being" interacting with tools.

• Approach AI with a mindset of collaboration and augmentation, rather than purely as a replacement or threat.

• Cultivate intellectual humility by acknowledging the limits of one's knowledge and being open to new perspectives.

• Practice choosing words with care, especially in public discourse or when discussing sensitive topics like AI.

• Maintain kindness in interactions, even when possessing a strong conviction or factual correctness.

• Allow oneself the "uncomfortable luxury" of changing one's mind when new evidence or insights emerge.

• Thoroughly do the work required to form an informed opinion before sharing it, especially online.

• Continuously evaluate and refine how one interacts with technology to ensure it serves human flourishing.

• Obsessively use new AI tools for an extended period to deeply understand their nuances and impact.

• Pressure test AI models by requesting multiple variations and iterating until the desired quality is achieved.

• Seek to understand the ideological underpinnings or lack thereof in new technologies like AI.

• Focus on guiding, evaluating, and knowing what is worth prompting AI to do, rather than just doing.

• Challenge the notion that progress is solely defined by quantifiable metrics on a spreadsheet.

FACTS:

• The term "Artificial Intelligence" was coined by John McCarthy in 1955 for a funding pitch.

• LLMs, at their core, are advanced statistical methods for aggregating and connecting human-generated information.

• Despite labor-saving home appliances, women in 1960 spent more time on housework than in 1920.

• The introduction of washing machines led to new societal standards, like weekly laundry, rather than just less work.

• Technology often creates new standards of expectation rather than simply making old tasks easier to complete.

• The quality of output from an LLM is highly dependent on the specificity and expertise embedded in the prompt.

• Thomas Edison stated that genius is "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" in the early 20th century.

• Many internet users, like "engagement farmers" on LinkedIn, focus on formulaic content for metrics like likes.

• The pursuit of measurable metrics in education can lead to "teaching to the test" rather than holistic learning.

• Media platforms' focus on click metrics often results in the proliferation of "clickbait" rather than quality content.

• The idea of human worth being measured by KPIs and OKRs is a relatively modern invention.

• Ancient Greek society often tied human worth to wisdom, contemplation, and philosophical pursuits.

• Medieval England valued religious devotion as a significant component of human worth and status.

• Many indigenous cultures link status and worth to spiritual connections, storytelling abilities, and community relationships.

• The internet's founding mission often centered around openness and free exchange of information and ideas.

• Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies were often introduced with ideals of freedom and decentralization.

• Leading AI labs explicitly state that building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is their primary goal.

• Technological determinism is a worldview assuming that the course of history is shaped by technological possibility.

• Garry Kasparov, a world chess champion, famously played against IBM's Deep Blue computer in the 1990s.

• The default settings and design choices in software products embed the opinions and values of their creators.

REFERENCES

• Lauren (introducer at the event)

• John McCarthy (coined "Artificial Intelligence")

• Holly Herndon (artist who suggested "Collective Intelligence")

• OpenAI (mentioned in the context of "OpenCI")

• Gabriel García Márquez (author, example of expertise)

• Virginia Woolf (author, example of expertise)

• Sublime (speaker's company)

• Podcast Magic (speaker's app for capturing podcast insights using screenshots)

• Spotify (platform for listening to podcasts, mentioned with Podcast Magic)

• Thomas Edison (source of the "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" quote)

• LinkedIn (platform mentioned for "engagement farmers")

• Twitter (platform mentioned for its like-driven engagement)

• Mark Zuckerberg (his belief in instant connection mentioned implicitly via Facebook/Meta's ethos)

• Steve Jobs (his dream of the computer as a "bicycle for the mind")

• Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI, his vision for AI's future)

• "Principles for sharing on the internet" (displayed on screen at the start)

• A painting of a pyramid with colored sections (shown on screen when discussing metrics, 11:47-11:58).

• Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (shown on screen as "Expectation: Machines becoming human", 10:22).

• An image of a red light inside a lens, with a human silhouette (shown on screen as "Reality: Humans are becoming machines", 10:22).

• A vintage ad for an "EASY Spindrier" washing machine (shown on screen, 04:01).

• An image of Garry Kasparov playing chess against a computer (Deep Blue) (shown on screen, 12:58).

• An image of a bald man looking at a screen (shown with text "AI is an ideological blank canvas", 13:38).

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Actively choose your words carefully when discussing AI, as language profoundly shapes our collective perception.

• Question the dominant narrative that AI is primarily a threat; explore its potential for human augmentation.

• Consider "Collective Intelligence" as a more accurate and empowering frame for understanding AI's role and function.

• If you use AI for writing, frame it as leveraging collective human knowledge, not as a shortcut.

• Pay attention to how AI tools make you feel, not just their functional output or efficiency.

• Recognize that AI, like past technologies, will likely raise expectations and create new work, not just leisure.

• Strive to produce "un-LLM-able" work, focusing on your unique human creativity, perspective, and lived experience.

• Understand that AI makes average output easy, so focus on developing exceptional, human-centric skills and insights.

• Shift your expertise from merely "doing" tasks to guiding AI, evaluating its outputs, and discerning valuable prompts.

• Embrace the idea that inspiration and vision (the "what" and "why") become more critical as AI handles execution.

• Resist becoming machine-like by blindly chasing metrics; instead, align actions with deeper human values and purpose.

• Use AI as a mirror to reflect on what it means to be human and what values to prioritize.

• Re-evaluate your identity from a "knowledge worker" to a "creative human being" in the age of AI.

• View AI as a creation, like a child, that depends on human guidance for its development and impact.

• Leverage AI to free yourself from rote tasks, allowing more time for intrinsically human and creative endeavors.

• Do the work required to have an informed opinion before sharing views on AI or other complex topics.

• Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind about AI as you learn more and gain experience.

• Cultivate intellectual humility, recognizing the evolving nature of AI and the limits of current understanding about it.

• Be kind in discussions about AI's future, even when disagreements arise or you feel certain in your views.

• Actively define and embed positive human values into the AI systems we build and the ways we use them.# SUMMARY
  The speaker discusses the common fear that AI will replace humans, arguing that language and framing profoundly shape our perception of AI. Instead of a threat, AI (or "Collective Intelligence") can augment humanity, if we shift our focus from productivity to creativity and reclaim our uniquely human qualities.

IDEAS:

• The dominant question about AI, "Will it replace humans?", often starts discussions, indicating underlying anxieties about technology.

• Comparing "Will AI replace humans?" to "How's the weather?" highlights its common yet often superficial starting point.

• Humanity instinctively frames remarkable achievements like AI as a threat to ourselves, revealing deep-seated existential fears.

• The term "Artificial Intelligence" originated from a 1955 funding pitch, strategically designed to be catchy and exciting.

• John McCarthy coined "Artificial Intelligence" to attract funding, demonstrating how language choice frames technological perception from inception.

• Language is not merely a communication tool; it actively influences and shapes our thoughts, perceptions, and reality.

• Writing with a human editor is perceived as collaborative, while using AI is often negatively judged as lazy.

• The same activity of writing assistance evokes vastly different emotional responses based on whether it's human or AI.

• Changing our vocabulary, such as using "Collective Intelligence" for AI, can significantly alter our reality and perception.

• Artist Holly Herndon suggests "AI" is a misnomer; "Collective Intelligence" (CI) is a more accurate descriptor for technology.

• LLMs are essentially advanced statistical tools for aggregating and connecting vast amounts of existing human intelligence and knowledge.

• Framing AI use as "writing with CI" transforms its perception to resourceful and a way of knowledge-leveraging.

• Not utilizing "Collective Intelligence" could soon be viewed as ignoring valuable resources, akin to dismissing expert human advice.

• A single word's framing can profoundly distort our entire perception of reality, creating significant, often unnoticed, blind spots.

• Beyond mere functionality, it is crucial to observe how AI tools make us feel and alter our humanity.

• The first reality gap: AI doesn't just reduce workload; it expands possibilities, thus increasing expectations and creating more work.

• The dream of robots doing our jobs for increased leisure is often a paradox; AI frequently creates new tasks.

• Historically, "labor-saving" technologies like washing machines paradoxically led to increased standards and often more, not less, total work.

• Technology's primary impact isn't just easing old tasks but establishing entirely new, higher standards of output and performance.

• The crucial test for human work in the AI era becomes: "Is this un-LLM-able?" highlighting unique human contributions.

• Truly valuable human work will carry the unmistakable fingerprint of creativity, unique perspective, and rich lived personal experience.

• AI makes average performance attainable by anyone, thereby significantly raising the bar for what is considered truly exceptional.

• The second reality gap: AI doesn't replace expertise; it fundamentally changes its nature to guiding and evaluating AI.

• True expertise in the AI age lies in skillfully shaping inputs and critically evaluating the outputs of LLMs.

• The critical differentiator in AI-assisted work is not the tool, but the human operator's insight and creative expertise.

• Expertise is shifting from mere task execution to guiding AI, evaluating its work, and discerning valuable creative prompts.

• The value of AI-driven creation, much like modern art, lies in knowing it was worth doing, when, and how.

• Thomas Edison's "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" may flip with AI to 99% inspiration, 1% perspiration for genius.

• The third reality gap: Instead of machines becoming more human, humans are increasingly becoming more machine-like in their behavior.

• Our societal obsession with metrics often drives us to behave more like algorithms, prioritizing easily quantifiable outputs.

• We often try to measure what we truly value, but inevitably end up valuing what we can easily measure.

• What can be easily measured often tends to be the mechanical, less nuanced aspects of performance or inherent value.

• AI acts as a mirror, compelling us to confront deep philosophical questions about our values and essential humanity.

• The most significant challenges with AI are not technological but deeply philosophical, ethical, and about our collective worldviews.

• A crucial mental shift is from seeing ourselves primarily as "knowledge workers" to "creative human beings" first and foremost.

• AI replacing humans is like children replacing parents; it's a natural evolution dependent on our wise guidance and values.

• AI can free humans from machine-like tasks, allowing us to reclaim and cultivate uniquely human qualities and creative endeavors.

• Adopting principles like intellectual humility and kindness is crucial for navigating public discourse in the age of AI.

INSIGHTS

• The language we use to describe AI fundamentally shapes our relationship with it and its perceived potential or threat.

• "Artificial Intelligence" as a term was a marketing choice, not an inherent descriptor, influencing decades of societal perception.

• Our fear of AI replacing humans reflects a deeper anxiety about our own value and purpose in a rapidly changing world.

• The true power of AI might be "Collective Intelligence," augmenting human capabilities rather than merely mimicking them or replacing individuals.

• While AI can automate tasks, it also raises expectations and creates new kinds of work, not simply ushering in more leisure.

• The benchmark for human value is shifting towards "un-LLM-able" qualities: creativity, unique perspective, and deep lived experience.

• Expertise isn't obsolete with AI; it evolves into guiding AI, evaluating its output, and knowing what to creatively prompt.

• Humans are at risk of becoming more machine-like by over-optimizing for metrics AI excels at, potentially losing nuanced human values.

• AI's greatest impact may be forcing humanity to reflect upon and define what it truly means to be human and creative.

• Reframing our identity from "knowledge workers" to "creative human beings" is key to thriving alongside advanced AI.

• Technology, including AI, is not our rival but applied human knowledge, an extension of our own collective capabilities and history.

• The mission and values embedded in AI development are critical, as AI itself is an ideological blank canvas.

• Fear of AI replacement can be re-contextualized as the natural progression of creation, similar to children succeeding their parents.

• AI offers an opportunity to delegate mechanical tasks, thereby freeing us to focus on inherently human pursuits and intrinsic values.

• Principled engagement online—intellectual humility, careful wording, kindness—becomes even more vital with AI's pervasive influence on communication.

QUOTES:

• "Will AI replace humans? It's the how's the weather of AI discourse, right?" - Speaker

• "Why when faced with one of humanity's most remarkable achievements, we instinctively frame it as a threat to ourselves." - Speaker

• "Artificial intelligence sounded exciting. And it worked." - Speaker

• "And just like that, this choice of words became the defining frame through which we experience this technology." - Speaker

• "We often think of language as a means to an end, but rarely think about how language itself influences our thinking." - Speaker

• "If you're writing with the help of AI, you're lazy, cheating, inauthentic." - Speaker

• "AI is actually a huge disservice of a term, and that collective intelligence is a far more accurate." - Holly Herndon (as quoted by speaker)

• "If you're writing with the help of CI, you're resourceful and leveraging the best of human knowledge." - Speaker

• "AI expands what's possible, raises expectations, and creates more work." - Speaker

• "Technology doesn't just make old tasks easier. It creates entirely new standards." - Speaker

• "Is this un-LLM-able? By which I mean, does this work carry the unmistakable fingerprint of human creativity, perspective, and lived experience?" - Speaker

• "AI makes average attainable by anyone, and therefore raises the bar for what is considered exceptional." - Speaker

• "Human beings will not [be commoditized]. We are un-LLM-able." - Speaker

• "The expertise here is not in doing the work. It's in guiding the work, in evaluating the work, in knowing what is worth prompting." - Speaker

• "Modern art equals, you could do that plus, yes, but you didn't." - Speaker

• "I think it's going to flip and maybe be like 99% inspiration, 1% perspiration." - Speaker

• "We worry AI will replace writers, but half the internet is engagement farmers on LinkedIn selling five ways to 10x your creativity by 6:00 AM." - Speaker

• "We try to measure what we value, but inevitably end up valuing what we measure." - Speaker

• "The biggest problems are not technological. They are philosophical. They are questions of values, ethics, and worldviews." - Speaker

• "WTF is a knowledge worker? You are a creative human being." - Speaker

• "Products are not neutral. They are opinions embedded in pixels." - Speaker

• "Yes. But fearing that AI will replace us is like fearing that our children will replace us." - Speaker

• "Do the work required to have an opinion." - On-screen text

• "Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind." - On-screen text

• "Cultivate intellectual humility." - On-screen text

• "Choose your words carefully." - On-screen text

• "Be kind, even if you are right." - On-screen text

HABITS

• Consciously choose vocabulary to frame new technologies, understanding that words shape perception and our collective reality.

• Actively seek to understand how new tools make one feel, not just their purely functional capabilities.

• Develop the skill of crafting detailed, expert-level prompts to guide AI tools effectively for truly superior results.

• Regularly question if one's work is "un-LLM-able," focusing on unique human creativity, perspective, and genuine insight.

• Prioritize inspiration and defining what is worth doing, as AI can handle more of the "perspiration" or execution.

• Resist the urge to become machine-like by optimizing solely for easily quantifiable metrics in creative and intellectual endeavors.

• Engage in philosophical reflection about values, ethics, and worldviews in relation to technological advancements and their impact.

• Reframe one's professional identity from a mere "knowledge worker" to a "creative human being" interacting with powerful tools.

• Approach AI with a mindset of collaboration and augmentation, rather than viewing it purely as a replacement or threat.

• Cultivate intellectual humility by acknowledging the limits of one's knowledge and being open to new, evolving perspectives.

• Practice choosing words with care, especially in public discourse or when discussing sensitive topics such as AI.

• Maintain kindness in interactions, even when possessing a strong conviction or a sense of factual correctness.

• Allow oneself the "uncomfortable luxury" of changing one's mind when new evidence or compelling insights emerge.

• Thoroughly do the work required to form an informed opinion before sharing it, especially in online forums.

• Continuously evaluate and refine how one interacts with technology to ensure it serves human flourishing and creativity.

• Obsessively use new AI tools for an extended period to deeply understand their nuances, biases, and true impact.

• Pressure test AI models by requesting multiple variations and iterating upon them until the desired quality is achieved.

• Seek to understand the ideological underpinnings or lack thereof in new technologies like AI and their platforms.

• Focus on guiding, evaluating, and knowing what is worth prompting AI to do, rather than just the act of doing.

• Challenge the notion that progress is solely defined by quantifiable metrics that may appear on a spreadsheet.

FACTS:

• The term "Artificial Intelligence" was coined by John McCarthy in 1955 specifically for a research funding pitch.

• LLMs, at their core, are advanced statistical methods for aggregating and connecting existing human-generated information and patterns.

• Despite the introduction of labor-saving home appliances, women in 1960 spent more time on housework than in 1920.

• The introduction of washing machines led to new societal standards, such as the expectation of weekly laundry.

• Technology often creates entirely new standards of expectation rather than simply making old, existing tasks easier to complete.

• The quality of output from an LLM is highly dependent on the specificity and expertise embedded in the input prompt.

• Thomas Edison stated that genius is "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" in the early 20th century context.

• Many internet users, sometimes called "engagement farmers" on platforms like LinkedIn, focus on formulaic content for optimizing metrics.

• The pursuit of measurable metrics in education can unintentionally lead to "teaching to the test" rather than fostering holistic learning.

• Media platforms' focus on click metrics often results in the proliferation of "clickbait" rather than in-depth quality content.

• The idea of human worth being primarily measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is a relatively modern invention.

• Ancient Greek society often tied an individual's human worth to qualities like wisdom, contemplation, and philosophical pursuits.

• Medieval England frequently valued religious devotion as a significant component of human worth and societal status.

• Many indigenous cultures link status and worth to spiritual connections, storytelling abilities, and strong community relationships.

• The internet's founding mission often centered around principles of openness and the free exchange of information and ideas.

• Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies were frequently introduced with underlying ideals of freedom and systemic decentralization.

• Leading AI labs explicitly state that building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is their primary, long-term research goal.

• Technological determinism is a philosophical worldview assuming that the course of human history is predominantly shaped by technological possibility.

• Garry Kasparov, a renowned world chess champion, famously played against IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer in the 1990s.

• The default settings and specific design choices in software products inherently embed the opinions and values of their creators.

REFERENCES

• Lauren (introducer at the event)

• John McCarthy (coined the term "Artificial Intelligence")

• Holly Herndon (artist who suggested the term "Collective Intelligence")

• OpenAI (AI research and deployment company, mentioned in the context of "OpenCI" and Sam Altman)

• Gabriel García Márquez (Colombian novelist, cited as an example of human expertise)

• Virginia Woolf (English writer, cited as an example of human expertise)

• Sublime (the speaker's company)

• Podcast Magic (the speaker's app for capturing podcast insights using screenshots)

• Spotify (audio streaming platform, mentioned in relation to using Podcast Magic)

• Thomas Edison (inventor, source of the "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" quote)

• LinkedIn (professional networking platform, mentioned regarding "engagement farmers")

• Twitter (social media platform, mentioned for its like-driven engagement)

• Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Meta, his belief in instant connection implicitly referenced)

• Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple, his dream of the computer as a "bicycle for the mind")

• Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI, his vision for AI's future and human flourishing)

• "Principles for sharing on the internet" (list of five principles displayed on screen at the start of the talk)

• A painting of a pyramid with colored sections, possibly representing a hierarchy or progression (shown on screen around 11:47-11:58 when discussing metrics and values).

• Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (image shown on screen with the text "Expectation: Machines becoming human" around 10:22).

• An image of a red light inside a camera-like lens, with a human silhouette falling into it (shown on screen with the text "Reality: Humans are becoming machines" around 10:22).

• A vintage advertisement for an "EASY Spindrier" washing machine (shown on screen around 04:01 to illustrate how labor-saving devices create new standards).

• An image of Garry Kasparov playing chess against a computer, presumably IBM's Deep Blue (shown on screen around 12:58 during the "Humans vs. AI" discussion).

• An image of a bald man looking at a blank screen (shown on screen with the text "AI is an ideological blank canvas" around 13:38).

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Actively choose your words carefully when discussing AI, as language profoundly shapes our collective perception and future.

• Question the dominant narrative that AI is primarily a threat; explore its vast potential for human augmentation.

• Consider "Collective Intelligence" as a more accurate and empowering frame for understanding AI's role and its function.

• If you use AI for writing, frame it as leveraging collective human knowledge, not as a mere shortcut.

• Pay close attention to how AI tools make you feel, not just their functional output or raw efficiency.

• Recognize that AI, like past transformative technologies, will likely raise expectations and create new work, not simply more leisure.

• Strive to produce "un-LLM-able" work, focusing on your unique human creativity, nuanced perspective, and rich lived experience.

• Understand that AI makes average output easy, so focus on developing exceptional, human-centric skills, insights, and judgment.

• Shift your expertise from merely "doing" tasks to guiding AI, evaluating its outputs, and discerning truly valuable prompts.

• Embrace the idea that inspiration and vision (the "what" and "why") become more critical as AI handles execution.

• Resist becoming machine-like by blindly chasing metrics; instead, align actions with deeper human values and authentic purpose.

• Use AI as a mirror to reflect on what it means to be human and what values to prioritize.

• Re-evaluate your identity from a "knowledge worker" to a "creative human being" in the new age of AI.

• View AI as a creation, much like a child, that depends on human guidance for its ethical development and impact.

• Leverage AI to free yourself from rote, mechanical tasks, allowing more time for intrinsically human and creative endeavors.

• Do the necessary work required to have an informed opinion before sharing your views on AI or other complex topics.

• Allow yourself the uncomfortable but vital luxury of changing your mind about AI as you learn more.

• Cultivate intellectual humility, recognizing the evolving nature of AI and the limits of current understanding regarding its future.

• Be kind in discussions about AI's future, even when disagreements arise or you feel certain in your views.

• Actively define and embed positive human values into the AI systems we build and the diverse ways we use them.