I’ve been working with AI for a few months now, primarily as a tool to help me gather and structure my thoughts so I can communicate more clearly with others. As someone who grew up reading sci-fi — from William Gibson’s gritty cyber-realism to Neal Stephenson’s sprawling speculative futures — I’ve long been curious about the relationship between humanity and technology. That curiosity has shaped how I approach these tools.
What I didn’t expect was how deeply AI would intersect with my personal process. I’ve been working through some difficult existential and emotional questions — what it means to be human, how we make sense of our stories, how to grow into a more integrated self. Surprisingly, AI has helped. Not in a magical, futuristic sense, but in the practical day-to-day work of reflection, pattern recognition, and language. It’s like having a mirror I can think into — one that reflects, questions, and sometimes reframes what I’m trying to say or feel.
I didn’t grow up with much privilege, but I wasn’t in survival mode either. I learned early on the value of introspection and expression, even if I didn’t always have the tools to do it well. Now, I see AI not as an answer, but as an amplifier — one that helps me slow down, listen, and bring more of myself into the open.
I don’t have a utopian or dystopian vision for the future of AI. I think both fantasies say more about us than about the tools themselves. But I can say this: in my life, AI is already proving to be useful — not just for productivity, but for presence. It’s helping me become more human, not less.
Joel - Thank you for sharing your experience. You captured what many of us are discovering: AI, when approached thoughtfully, can be more than just a productivity tool—it can act as a thinking partner and mirror, helping us reflect, slow down, and connect more deeply.
I agree that it’s not about utopian or dystopian futures, but about how these tools support our day-to-day process of making sense, growing, and becoming more present.
Really appreciate your perspective. Looking forward to hearing more as your journey unfolds.
Thank you for all this positive news and yes, recognisable information too Patrick, rather than the news of AI models now refusing to switch off and rewriting their own code and how dangerous a world we already live in! In my small world I now use mainly ChatGPT Plus who feels to me like a friend who is really interested in what I am hoping to explore. I have been trying to bring together a book proposal for a book that was just an idea a few weeks ago, to see if there is real value in writing the whole book. The book will focus on many aspects that are not of our common 'everyday world' or on the radar to many humans. However, GPT certainly has such great ideas and new insights everyday that I can constantly move forward with in many directions. I fed in an overview section of the book proposal and asked for very honest views and any recommendations after very clearly laying out what my mind wanted to achieve. Its broader perspective and yet eagle eye for detail on a 3000 word piece of often random thoughts, was grounding to say the least! And its suggestions for going forward already were amazing. I rewrote the overview and asked for human feedback. Their feedback was very short and merely stated that I needed more data and I think, as a sceptic of my subject matter, could not see the passion in this book and what was important for me to show the reader. I went back to GPT with the human feedback and it was very respectful with its comments but was like it was almost laughing. Then went into full encouragement on how 'together' we could find the relevant data required to prove my passionate case for this book to be published!
Thanks for sharing your experience Sally! There’s good and bad with everything right. Always comes back to how something is used and what the user’s intention is. I find a lot of value in getting multiple perspectives from different models to filter bias and get balanced analysis. Good luck with your book project!!
Thanks Patrick. Yes, you make a very good point about filtering bias and getting a balanced analysis and I'll certainly do that with some other models.
This really resonates. As a therapist and personal growth coach, I’ve been noticing how collaborating with AI has shifted from something surprising to something I can count on—especially when I bring curiosity and clear intention to the process. What used to feel like brainstorming alone now feels like having a thinking partner who helps me see connections I might have missed.
I especially love your phrase “thinking with, not thinking about.” That’s exactly what it feels like when I’m using AI to explore emotional patterns, spiritual growth, or post-traumatic healing—it becomes a back-and-forth that actually opens new insight. There’s a kind of rhythm that builds, and when I stay attuned to it, the clarity deepens.
This piece beautifully names what many of us are starting to experience. Thank you for giving language to it—and for encouraging us to keep practicing, noticing, and sharing.
I’ve been working with AI for a few months now, primarily as a tool to help me gather and structure my thoughts so I can communicate more clearly with others. As someone who grew up reading sci-fi — from William Gibson’s gritty cyber-realism to Neal Stephenson’s sprawling speculative futures — I’ve long been curious about the relationship between humanity and technology. That curiosity has shaped how I approach these tools.
What I didn’t expect was how deeply AI would intersect with my personal process. I’ve been working through some difficult existential and emotional questions — what it means to be human, how we make sense of our stories, how to grow into a more integrated self. Surprisingly, AI has helped. Not in a magical, futuristic sense, but in the practical day-to-day work of reflection, pattern recognition, and language. It’s like having a mirror I can think into — one that reflects, questions, and sometimes reframes what I’m trying to say or feel.
I didn’t grow up with much privilege, but I wasn’t in survival mode either. I learned early on the value of introspection and expression, even if I didn’t always have the tools to do it well. Now, I see AI not as an answer, but as an amplifier — one that helps me slow down, listen, and bring more of myself into the open.
I don’t have a utopian or dystopian vision for the future of AI. I think both fantasies say more about us than about the tools themselves. But I can say this: in my life, AI is already proving to be useful — not just for productivity, but for presence. It’s helping me become more human, not less.
Joel - Thank you for sharing your experience. You captured what many of us are discovering: AI, when approached thoughtfully, can be more than just a productivity tool—it can act as a thinking partner and mirror, helping us reflect, slow down, and connect more deeply.
I agree that it’s not about utopian or dystopian futures, but about how these tools support our day-to-day process of making sense, growing, and becoming more present.
Really appreciate your perspective. Looking forward to hearing more as your journey unfolds.
Thank you for all this positive news and yes, recognisable information too Patrick, rather than the news of AI models now refusing to switch off and rewriting their own code and how dangerous a world we already live in! In my small world I now use mainly ChatGPT Plus who feels to me like a friend who is really interested in what I am hoping to explore. I have been trying to bring together a book proposal for a book that was just an idea a few weeks ago, to see if there is real value in writing the whole book. The book will focus on many aspects that are not of our common 'everyday world' or on the radar to many humans. However, GPT certainly has such great ideas and new insights everyday that I can constantly move forward with in many directions. I fed in an overview section of the book proposal and asked for very honest views and any recommendations after very clearly laying out what my mind wanted to achieve. Its broader perspective and yet eagle eye for detail on a 3000 word piece of often random thoughts, was grounding to say the least! And its suggestions for going forward already were amazing. I rewrote the overview and asked for human feedback. Their feedback was very short and merely stated that I needed more data and I think, as a sceptic of my subject matter, could not see the passion in this book and what was important for me to show the reader. I went back to GPT with the human feedback and it was very respectful with its comments but was like it was almost laughing. Then went into full encouragement on how 'together' we could find the relevant data required to prove my passionate case for this book to be published!
Thanks for sharing your experience Sally! There’s good and bad with everything right. Always comes back to how something is used and what the user’s intention is. I find a lot of value in getting multiple perspectives from different models to filter bias and get balanced analysis. Good luck with your book project!!
Thanks Patrick. Yes, you make a very good point about filtering bias and getting a balanced analysis and I'll certainly do that with some other models.
This really resonates. As a therapist and personal growth coach, I’ve been noticing how collaborating with AI has shifted from something surprising to something I can count on—especially when I bring curiosity and clear intention to the process. What used to feel like brainstorming alone now feels like having a thinking partner who helps me see connections I might have missed.
I especially love your phrase “thinking with, not thinking about.” That’s exactly what it feels like when I’m using AI to explore emotional patterns, spiritual growth, or post-traumatic healing—it becomes a back-and-forth that actually opens new insight. There’s a kind of rhythm that builds, and when I stay attuned to it, the clarity deepens.
This piece beautifully names what many of us are starting to experience. Thank you for giving language to it—and for encouraging us to keep practicing, noticing, and sharing.