It seems that machine learning and “robots” of some sort have been around for a long time. About a year ago, the term “AI” seemed to change for many people with the introduction of one new thing: ChatGPT. Fast forward roughly one year and during OpenAI’s recent DevDay, they reported 100 million weekly users. Seemingly overnight, robots went from movie monsters to real-life monsters. AI went from entertaining science fiction to worries that it will stymie human creativity.

I’m not here to give you the details on the latest AI tools, but to allay your fears (I hope). Together, we can transform AI from a stumbling block or stone wall into a stepping stone for you and your future.

It Depends on You

The future of AI and how it impacts you individually has as much to do with your perspective as what the technology can do. Fearing that the world will soon be dominated by machines can create a feeling of hopelessness. We must not ignore the fundamental truth of this situation. We have something that machines can never replicate:

The incredible power of the human imagination.

Our ability to empathize, innovate, create, and feel can’t be matched by an algorithm.

What to Watch For

To be sure, AI tools raise the bar for everyone. Everyone can now be above the previous average. But raising the floor doesn’t define the ceiling. The real questions that define how we see and use AI are these:

  • How can we use these tools to unleash our creative potential?
  • What can we do to ensure we remain valuable as AI tools change the landscape?
  • How can we master the algorithms and make them our friends rather than our foes?

All of these require we pull out and polish up important parts of our human toolkit.

  • Vison
  • Belief
  • Hope
  • Curiosity
  • Creativity
  • Continual learning

I have written on each of these parts of our human toolkit in the past. I will likely write more in the coming weeks as these tools relate to AI. But for today, beyond the questions I have already given you, consider this. There are three reasons why the future of AI can be a stepping stone for you, rather than an impediment.

  • AI tools can help you automate simple, time-consuming, leaving you with more time and focus for highly valuable work.
  • AI tools can provide you with better questions to ask yourself when dreaming, planning, or strategizing.
  • AI tools can give you ways to further outthink, outshine, and achieve things you might never have achieved before.

But AI tools can’t do any of those things if you are fearful, overly cautious, and unwilling to use them.

Stone walls, stumbling blocks, and stepping stones can all be made from the same material. How you see and use them is what makes them different. The same is true for AI – how you see and choose to use the tools will make all the difference.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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