AI Will Make Us More Human (How To Reclaim Your Soul)

The most depressing thing about the modern economy isn't that we might lose our jobs to AI.

It's that we've already lost our humanity to it.

Think about it.

For generations, we've forced ourselves to become poor imitations of machines. We've shaped our minds to fit into cubicles, programmed ourselves to execute repetitive mental tasks, and convinced ourselves that this is what productivity looks like.

We've become what philosopher Jordan Hall calls "mediocre machines" – humans trying desperately to operate like computers in a system that rewards computation over creation.

But here's the uncomfortable truth:

Anything you do that feels like a repetitive mental exercise – anything that feels like you're just executing tasks according to someone else's program – will be done better, faster, and cheaper by AI within the next 1-2 years.

This isn't a dystopian prediction. It's an opportunity for liberation.

The question isn't whether AI will take your job. The question is: will you finally reclaim your soul when it does?

The Great Machinery of Human Minds

During the industrial revolution, we bent our bodies to match the rhythm of machines. We stood in assembly lines and performed the same physical movements over and over because we didn't have machines sophisticated enough to do it all.

In the information age, we've done the same with our minds.

We've trained ourselves to:

• Process endless emails

• Format spreadsheets

• Organize data

• Produce standardized content

• Analyze metrics

• Optimize conversion rates

• Scale systems

And we've called this "knowledge work."

But here's the thing about knowledge work: if it feels soul-sucking, it's because it is. Your soul is literally being extracted to power something that has nothing to do with what makes you human.

Your mind is being co-opted to serve the machine of the economy, and the bottom line of a company that would replace you tomorrow if an algorithm could do your job.

Spoiler alert: Soon, it will.

The Death of the Mediocre Machine

When ChatGPT launched, people marveled at how it could write essays, create marketing copy, and code simple programs.

Today's models can:

• Design entire software architectures

• Create complex data visualizations

• Write and debug sophisticated code

• Generate realistic images, videos, and audio

• Analyze legal documents

• Draft business strategies

• Create personalized learning curricula

The pace of advancement isn't slowing down – it's accelerating.

And this is a good thing.

Because anything that can be automated probably should be automated. Not because humans aren't valuable, but because what's truly valuable about humans isn't our ability to act like machines.

The Return to Humanity

When we're no longer forced to think like computers to make a living, we'll have the opportunity to think like humans again.

But what does that even mean?

It means reconnecting with something that AI can never replicate: our human spirit – that intangible force that drives us to create meaning, seek beauty, form deep connections, and transcend our limited perspectives.

For too long, we've put our minds in service of machinery instead of meaning. We've optimized for efficiency instead of fulfillment. We've scaled systems instead of souls.

Now we have a choice.

We can either:

1. Fight desperately to keep our positions as mediocre machines (and lose that battle)

2. Surrender to purposelessness in a world where our labor is no longer needed

3. Reclaim our humanity and rediscover what it means to be fully human

That third option? That's your opportunity.

The Crisis of Purpose

"But what about my job? My income? My purpose?"

These are valid concerns, and I won't pretend the transition will be painless.

But here's the uncomfortable truth about purpose:

If your sense of purpose came primarily from executing tasks that an AI could do, then your purpose wasn't aligned with your humanity in the first place.

It was aligned with the needs of an economic system that viewed you as a resource to be optimized.

True purpose isn't found in being a cog in someone else's machine. It's found in expressing your unique humanity in a way that serves something larger than yourself.

And ironically, the arrival of AI is forcing us to confront this reality.

The Soul-Centered Life

So what does a fully human life look like in the age of AI?

It starts with putting your mind in service of your soul, rather than in service of machinery.

This means:

1. Creation over computation Creating what only you can create, rather than computing what any machine could compute.

2. Connection over optimization Building deep, meaningful relationships instead of optimizing engagement metrics.

3. Contemplation over consumption Taking time to reflect on what matters rather than constantly consuming information.

4. Courage over comfort Making difficult choices aligned with your values rather than following the path of least resistance.

5. Contribution over competition Finding ways to contribute to others' well-being rather than competing for status or resources.

Learning to Live, Not Just Work

For generations, we've been taught that our value comes from our work – specifically, our economic output.

But humans aren't production units. We're living souls with the capacity for love, beauty, meaning, and transcendence.

Ask yourself:

• When was the last time you felt fully alive?

• What activities make you lose track of time?

• What would you create if money were no object?

• What problems would you solve if you didn't need to worry about monetization?

• What relationships would you deepen if you weren't exhausted from pretending to be a machine all day?

These questions point toward your humanity – the part of you that no AI can replace.

The Great Rehumanization

Here's the exciting part:

As AI takes over more of our mechanical thinking, we have the opportunity to undergo a great rehumanization.

We can reclaim our birthright as beings of consciousness, creativity, and connection.

This doesn't mean rejecting technology. On the contrary, it means using technology – including AI – as tools to amplify our humanity rather than replace it.

The companies, creators, and communities that thrive in the coming decades won't be those trying to compete with AI at being mechanical. They'll be those who use AI to enhance what makes them uniquely human.

How to Prepare for the Age of Human Flourishing

So how do you prepare for this shift? How do you reclaim your humanity in an age of intelligent machines?

1. Cultivate deep self-knowledge Understand what makes you come alive, what values drive you, and what contribution only you can make.

2. Develop your creative capacities Creativity isn't just for artists. It's the ability to bring something new into being, and we all have it.

3. Build authentic community Form relationships based on genuine connection rather than utility or transaction.

4. Embrace contemplative practices Meditation, reflection, and deep thinking help you develop the inner resources AI lacks.

5. Seek transcendent experiences Connect with something larger than yourself, whether through nature, art, service, or spiritual practice.

6. Learn to collaborate with AI Don't fight the machines; learn to dance with them. Use AI as an amplifier for your humanity.

7. Create value through meaning, not just utility Focus on generating meaning, beauty, and connection – the things that make life worth living.

The Ultimate Liberation

The greatest irony is that by building machines that can think like mediocre humans, we're forcing ourselves to become exceptional humans.

We're creating the conditions for our own liberation from mechanical thinking and mechanical living.

The economy has enslaved our minds for generations, forcing us to perform mental gymnastics that had nothing to do with our souls. Now, as AI takes over those functions, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reclaim our minds and put them in service of something greater.

Not the bottom line. Not the machine. Not the algorithm.

But the human spirit – that sacred, beautiful essence that makes life worth living.

This is your invitation to step into your full humanity. To stop being a mediocre machine and start being an exceptional human.

The question isn't whether AI will take your job.

The question is: what will you do with your humanity when it does?