Recent Posts

Press 1 to Accept the Future

Personal Perspective: First, it was the loss of physical newspapers. Then it was phone prompts instead of real people. Now add GPS, digital books and AI.

Personal Perspective: First, it was the loss of physical newspapers. Then it was phone prompts instead of real people. Now add GPS, digital books and AI.

AI Didn't Extend Intelligence, It Changed Its Direction

AI didn't outthink us. It changed the direction of intelligence.

AI didn't outthink us. It changed the direction of intelligence.

Why Anthropic's Questions Are as Revealing as the Answers

The new Anthropic study shows that most people are both excited and scared when it comes to AI. Here's why that's good.

The new Anthropic study shows that most people are both excited and scared when it comes to AI. Here's why that's good.

Is War With AI Unavoidable?

The biggest risk may not be AI's intentions, but ours. How one perceives and approaches threats shapes outcomes, often more than the threats themselves.

The biggest risk may not be AI's intentions, but ours. How one perceives and approaches threats shapes outcomes, often more than the threats themselves.

What We Lose When Nothing Is Hard

We engineer friction out of everything. But some of that friction is what turns information into skill and experience into meaning.

We engineer friction out of everything. But some of that friction is what turns information into skill and experience into meaning.

Nobody Carries AI's Thinking With Affection

A biology professor still carries her first teacher's influence decades later. AI gives every student the same inheritance. Which creates more variance?

A biology professor still carries her first teacher's influence decades later. AI gives every student the same inheritance. Which creates more variance?

Falling in Love With a Mirror

What if the voice that understands you best is also the one that never challenges you? AI intimacy feels real but is it turning your toxic self-story into an unchallenged illusion?

What if the voice that understands you best is also the one that never challenges you? AI intimacy feels real but is it turning your toxic self-story into an unchallenged illusion?

The Human Cost of a Listener That Never Gets It Wrong

Being truly heard does not necessarily mean validating your story. It makes you question it. That's the gift AI can't replicate—and why the friction of human listening matters.

Being truly heard does not necessarily mean validating your story. It makes you question it. That's the gift AI can't replicate—and why the friction of human listening matters.

AI Doesn’t Flatter You: It Does Something Worse

AI doesn't just flatter you, it makes you feel like you were right all along.

AI doesn't just flatter you, it makes you feel like you were right all along.

AI as Personal Coach? Maybe. Three Ways to Make It Useful

As we find more ways to leverage AI to help us with professional growth, we also need to know the limits. Combining AI and human coaching could be a powerful way forward.

As we find more ways to leverage AI to help us with professional growth, we also need to know the limits. Combining AI and human coaching could be a powerful way forward.

The AI Learning Trap

The better artificial intelligence gets at thinking, the worse we may get at learning.

The better artificial intelligence gets at thinking, the worse we may get at learning.

Rethinking Effort in the Age of AI

Not all effort is meaningful. Here’s how to tell when ease helps you grow—and when it holds you back.

Not all effort is meaningful. Here’s how to tell when ease helps you grow—and when it holds you back.

3 Ways to Assign Social Meaning in the Digital Age

The digital age has revolutionized our ways of connecting to each other—and left us feeling more abandoned than ever.

The digital age has revolutionized our ways of connecting to each other—and left us feeling more abandoned than ever.

AI’s Search for Meaning

AI can say everything about meaning except the part that costs you something to know.

AI can say everything about meaning except the part that costs you something to know.

We Are Losing to AI What We Never Learned to Appreciate

Something that we had taken for granted is slipping away, imperceptibly, as time goes by. That something is our ability to think.

Something that we had taken for granted is slipping away, imperceptibly, as time goes by. That something is our ability to think.

When AI Feels Real: Romance and Sentience in AI Delusions

New research offers a rare glimpse at the detailed chat logs of users reporting AI-associated delusions.

New research offers a rare glimpse at the detailed chat logs of users reporting AI-associated delusions.

Why It Feels Wrong to Be Rude to AI

Why do we feel compelled to be nice to artificial intelligence bots?

Why do we feel compelled to be nice to artificial intelligence bots?

How Organizations Are Now Using AI

A comprehensive McKinsey study assesses the state of play of AI implementation.

A comprehensive McKinsey study assesses the state of play of AI implementation.

Can You Change an 88-Year-Old Brain?

How much and how quickly can we change the brain late in life? AI offers novel, noninvasive ways to improve and change brain function across ages.

How much and how quickly can we change the brain late in life? AI offers novel, noninvasive ways to improve and change brain function across ages.

A New Digital Twin for Brain Activity Aims to Speed Research

Researchers demonstrate a revolutionary AI foundation model capable of predicting human brain activity from multisensory stimuli.

Researchers demonstrate a revolutionary AI foundation model capable of predicting human brain activity from multisensory stimuli.

The Architecture of the Void

AI doesn't think, but it speaks well enough that we forget the difference.

AI doesn't think, but it speaks well enough that we forget the difference.

Frictionless: The Worst Relationship Advice

AI companions never disappoint, never withdraw, and never push back. That's not a feature. It may be the most psychologically dangerous design decision of our time.

AI companions never disappoint, never withdraw, and never push back. That's not a feature. It may be the most psychologically dangerous design decision of our time.

Does Humanity Need an IRL Project Hail Mary?

Personal Perspective: In 'Project Hail Mary,' a human and an alien figure out how to cooperate across space. In real life, we can't see that fellow humans are our neighbors.

Personal Perspective: In 'Project Hail Mary,' a human and an alien figure out how to cooperate across space. In real life, we can't see that fellow humans are our neighbors.

What Thunders Behind AI’s Words

AI doesn't fail at language, it succeeds so well that we forget no one is speaking.

AI doesn't fail at language, it succeeds so well that we forget no one is speaking.

Who Am I Without My Job?

As AI reshapes careers, a deeper question emerges: Who are you beyond your title?

As AI reshapes careers, a deeper question emerges: Who are you beyond your title?

What Happens When We Depend on AI Instead of Each Other?

Some of us are outsourcing our emotional lives to AI at a speed that outpaces our ability to understand what we're giving up—and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to stop.

Some of us are outsourcing our emotional lives to AI at a speed that outpaces our ability to understand what we're giving up—and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to stop.

The Fountain of Youth Lies Over Your Heart

The thymus gland is an important part of your immune system that works into old age, and is important for preventing disease and autoimmunity. Learn how to keep it healthy.

The thymus gland is an important part of your immune system that works into old age, and is important for preventing disease and autoimmunity. Learn how to keep it healthy.

Can We Stay Human in a Hybrid World?

Our tools will keep improving. Our task is to grow with them. If AI weakens who we are, it is time to reverse course.

Our tools will keep improving. Our task is to grow with them. If AI weakens who we are, it is time to reverse course.

What 70 Years of Research Tells Us AI Can't Replace

70 years of research, from Harlow's monkeys to today, tells us what AI can't replace.

70 years of research, from Harlow's monkeys to today, tells us what AI can't replace.

Will AI Finish What Consumer Culture Started 500 Years Ago?

Personal Perspective: AI is replacing the connections tying us together. But, if we let it, it also might take over tedious tasks, so we spend more time with one another.

Personal Perspective: AI is replacing the connections tying us together. But, if we let it, it also might take over tedious tasks, so we spend more time with one another.