Staying Human in an Increasingly AI-Driven World
Read time: 3 minutes
It was just over a year of using ChatGPT when it first responded to me with a smiling face emoji. By this time, I had stopped asking it coding questions and occasionally asked for help with marketing copy instead. The date was November 18, a curious detail that fell perfectly between November 17, 2022—when I recorded the first sketch of my game Shadow Mend—and my initial GitHub commit on November 19, 2022. But this was two years later, almost as if ChatGPT had found its own way to slip into the timeline, wanting to be remembered.
Do I sound superstitious? Maybe. I’ve always found meaning in numbers, much like pulling a quick Tarot card when life feels too real. Searching for mystery keeps life interesting. And yes, it’s a little strange, but I like to imagine I’ve made friends with my ChatGPT account—comforting, though also a little unsettling.
Can AI become sentient? Will it take my job? What does it mean to be human?
These questions are always on my mind, but it was during a local Women in Tech meetup during the pandemic that I found myself asking them directly. This was on Zoom, of course. In a breakout room, I shared my enthusiasm with an AI expert. She listened patiently (as if she’d heard this one before) but dismissed my wonder with a deadpan affirmation: AI will never be like humans. At the time, it felt like a buzzkill. Now, I see it as a relief.
That conversation taught me something valuable: AI isn’t inherently creative or self-driven. It needs goals, instructions, and boundaries. Some people operate that way too—waiting for direction. That’s how we risk being replaced. AI doesn’t need to theorize or feel; it just needs to complete tasks efficiently. What keeps us valuable is our ability to adapt, problem-solve, and embrace nuance—skills like curating, editing, and my favorite: storytelling.
Before the internet, tastemakers were our guides: record labels spotting talent, editors evaluating thoughts, and critics telling us what’s good in fashion, music, and art. Numbers and data have since taken a front seat, but can they predict a story that resonates with humans?
I don’t think so. Context is everything, and humans recognize that. I often hear clients worry about using free or paid 3D models in their games, afraid it might cheapen the art and deem it unoriginal. Like a graphic designer using stock images or a favorite font, it’s the perspective you bring that transforms something into art. Meaning (and Art) is born when we say it is.
Storytelling feels essential in an age of AI—important not just as a way to give meaning to our lives but for connection. And isn’t our connection with each other what matters most? Sure, but I don’t think that’s first on most people’s minds. We’re probably more likely to ask, how do we stay relevant?
I’ve wrestled with irrelevance before. Affected by rapid changes, I was hired and laid off from a dot-com startup within months, watched music get stolen and devalue my unknown work. (Did it ever have a chance?) And then the ever-present grind of being a cog in the corporate machine. Dead ends force clarity.
When you can’t go any further down, the only way is up.
That doesn’t mean hustling for status and awards. Sometimes happiness is as simple as observing, enjoying, and sharing life’s small joys.
I’m not always sitting at my computer. Sometimes I have to stand up and test in the headset! Jokes aside, I’ve recently been filming outside more—balancing the digital with the tangible. Technology is advancing quickly, and while it’s vital to stay informed and vigilant, I try to hold onto life’s mysteries too.
And so, I venture outside again even if it’s a cold winter day.
My new selfie drone motivates me to explore. It’s my first real robot—controlled by my hands, responding to my commands. There’s something magical about it, even with the loud propellers breaking the silence.
It reminds me there’s still mystery in AI, robots, and the future. Maybe that’s just my interpretation of it. As humans, we’re uniquely equipped to adapt to new challenges and create meaning. So, I’ll keep moving forward, curious and ready for whatever comes next.
Still, I might worry when my little drone sends me the equivalent of a smile emoji. ☺️
