136: How Humans Still Trump AI
I bought a muffin this morning as a little treat on the way home from a walk and it was stale—don't you hate that? It was probably better for my blood sugar though.
Anyway, trying something new and sending this newsletter on a Friday instead of a Saturday since I realize a lot of folks subscribe with their work email. Let's see if it makes a difference on open rates!
—Jason
🤔 Announcements
- 📅 In 6 days: Being Human in the Age of Generative AI - Jan 18
- 📅 New: Reboot Your Life: Own Your Story - Jan 24 An online workshop where I show you how to tell better personal stories
🧠 10 Human Qualities To Stay Ahead of AI
I've been thinking about this a lot ahead of my upcoming salon on Jan 18th (next week!). I've posted this list before but I wanted to elaborate on what each means to me.
2023 is is a year Generative AI really comes for knowledge workers.
— Jason Shen (@JasonShen) January 12, 2023
Naturally we're all fixated on what AI can do and how it's as good or better than people. So what's left for us?
Here are 10 enduring human traits that can help us stay ahead of the machines. 🧵
1. Imperfection
AI gets things wrong too — but it's designed to be flawless.
— Jason Shen (@JasonShen) January 12, 2023
Let yourself make mistakes. Explore them and look for those happy accidents.
Also, people will learn to look for little imperfections as a sign of humanity.
Stumble, fall, show off those jagged edges. The AI can't.
2. Emotion
ChatGPT might say it's sad. But you can ask it to be happy—and it will be.
— Jason Shen (@JasonShen) January 12, 2023
People can't turn on a dime. Remember the last time you were sad and someone told you to "just cheer up"?
What ChatGPT "feels" is not real. Human emotion is messy, unexpected, and primal. Channel it.
3. Intention
As humans we choose what we want to create. And we can share our actual reasons for making these choices.
— Jason Shen (@JasonShen) January 12, 2023
An AI can't be earnest, or ironic, or deadpan, or quietly simmering. Think about when someone texts you "Ok". What did it mean?
Intention matters. Only humans have it.
4. Opinion
What we like and don't like makes us interesting — it gives us a personality. It's what makes us unique.
— Jason Shen (@JasonShen) January 12, 2023
Even the most advanced AI can't do a better job at being you, than YOU!
Lean into your preferences and opinions—no one wants to debate with a machine.
Read the rest of the list on Twitter (I went public again b/c I like to link to tweets): Biography, Accountability, Fidelity, Presence, Identity.
👉 Recommendations
- ⚡ ️Why courage is the root virtue
- 🤖 5 traps to avoid when incorporating AI into your business
- 🧠 The importance of not "forcing" work when you're overwhelmed
- 🏋 Netflix and Nike are teaming up to bring you on demand workouts. You in?
- ⚙️ This is still one of the best tools I've come across for structured thinking / communication
- 📊 Using extreme questions to drive business creativity: "What if you could only ship one thing this year?"
- 👣 A movie producer reflects on streaming transformed the industry from hits-driven to steady state, and how he can adapt
- 🫶 "I think our collective cultural failure to do [give a new positive vision for men] is one of the root causes of some of the problems that we now see men and boys having"
Legend: ⚡️ Courage / Risk-taking | 🤖 Generative AI | 🧠 ADHD | 🏋 Relatable fitness | ⚙️ Mental models / structured thinking | 📊 Business pivots | 👣 Life pivots | 🫶 Togetherness | 👁️ Creative Vision,