Learning resilience in the age of generative AI
Learn resilience or regret it later? Seems like these are the only choices available.🤷♂️
This is part of my mental model series, concepts that I think will become very important in the age of generative AI.
🦧: Why do you need to learn something NEW now?
Generative AI is swiftly becoming the go-to standard for problem-solving. Need a draft? No problem—just ask Jasper or ChatGPT. There's no longer a necessity to hire a writer for drafting. Need an image? Dall-E or Midjourney has you covered. Coding? Copilot or GrimoireGPT handles a vast amount of the groundwork for you. We are at an unprecedented point in modern history where the competition isn't just with a robot but also with those leveraging Generative AI. (Do some googling around AI if you haven’t done it yet.)
🥷: Conducting Basic Research Could Spare You Considerable Trouble
A year ago, I was faced with a challenge—the GenAI shutdown problem, to be exact. It never crossed my mind that we would be left vulnerable exposed to technology that we can't shut down. Indeed, that remains the case, as global standards for AI safety engineering are yet to be established. However, tech giants are not slowing down. They continue to invest in server farms and allocate more computing resources to Generative AI. My advice? Do the same. There is a significant shift underway. Take some time to conduct basic research and understand what's happening. This simple act of inquiry could save you a significant amount of trouble in the next two years.
😰: Why focus on resilience? Because the technological shift will be painful.
Let's be real – I see GenAI being polarizing, even for smart people. It's hard to wrap your head around on so many levels. The best way I've found to build resilient thinking about this stuff is to tackle the toughest discussions about GenAI head-on, especially the existential threats it poses to us as humans. We've simply never dealt with another form of physics that can out-think, outpace, or compete with us. These machines have incredible processing power and speed.
Think about ChatGPT: it searches a neural network (NN) in less than a minute, and that NN represents at least 70% of the whole internet... no person can compete with that. Bottom line: if you take one thing away from this post, let it be that you need to strengthen your thinking in the coming months. That ability to fortify your mind will be essential for navigating the right path forward with GenAI.
🤷♂️: Learn resilience or regret it later? Seems like these are the only choices.
Let's face a sobering fact: 90% of people have deep life regrets. Most 65-year-olds say, "I wish I hadn't worried so much." You can ignore this, but remember: we're wired for survival, and that means our brains are hardwired for worry. So, you can either join the rare 10% who fight back, learn the skills to adapt, and build resilience for this coming tech revolution... or not.
🤔: Here's the hard truth: the modern world fights against resilience.
To take on the 10% challenge, there is a significant hurdle involved: we're constantly bombarded with distractions and disruptions. Wars like those in Ukraine and the Middle East, divisive politics like wokism and climate debates...these things pull our focus away from building mental strength. And that's on top of our daily routines – working, caring for our families. Plus, our phones are designed to be addictive – notifications, news, ads, games – it's a constant dopamine loop that warps our attention.
This is the world we live in. But if you're reading this, and it resonates, congratulations. You might be one of the few who's ready to fight back and build resilience anyway.
🤖: How can we avoid regretting our inaction with GenAI?
The road ahead grows harder the longer you wait. It's dangerous, but I urge you to experiment with these ideas:
Accept: You will die. Memento mori – meditate on your death. This Stoic practice sharpens your awareness, forcing you to prioritize. Life is short; make it count. Those who accept the fleeting nature of time tend to be the most adaptive, resilient, and productive.
Caution: The dopamine reward system cuts both ways. I've made sacrifices: alcohol, late nights, junk food – all to optimize for my marathon training in Cayman Islands. Lately, it's been four to five hours of dense reading daily to fuel my AI safety research. Our habits chart our course. Good and bad alike run on that same dopamine system. Choose and reinforce wisely; over months, habits become your life.
Direction: Set the bar impossibly low. Pressure cripples. Most people struggle by demanding immediate results. Momentum takes time.
Practical: Write. Our brains crave structure, and writing forces articulation. It's painful, but there's no simpler path to clear thinking. Don't worry about perfection; even I use AI tools for grammar. In fact, why aren't you already using AI to write about your passions?
Combine: Resilience is a blend of factors. There's no single path through these historic shifts. But history favors those with the best tools. Fire gave humans an edge over predators; guns over bows; software in the modern age...the pattern is clear.
Ethical Cyborgism: Use AI tools with integrity. Safety standards are lacking, opening the door to misuse of these powerful tools. Your responsibility is twofold: maximize the benefits the technology offers, and act ethically in the process. Remember, no amount of automation can replace the trust vital to any worthwhile transaction. Doing things the right way remains essential.
💡: Final thoughts
GenAI's presence is undeniable and will only solidify further. Soon, you must embrace the reality that your skills are no longer exclusive. AI systems or trailblazers using AI will surpass your current capabilities. View this not as a threat, but a watershed moment. Remarkable AI tools are readily available for us. To adapt successfully, you must immediately focus on building resilience – prioritizing ethical use and responsible implementation. Hesitation means joining the vast majority who will look back on this transformative era with regret.