Clarke’s Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -Arthur C. Clarke
That is how I felt in November 2022 when ChatGPT was released. After a few sleepless nights experimenting, I became convinced that everything was about to change. The deeper I explored its capabilities, the further I fell down the rabbit hole of possibilities. And collectively, we still haven't found the bottom.
What's become increasingly clear in the years since that experience is that we're living through the next great revolution in human history. Just as the Information Revolution was ushered in by the internet, the Industrial Revolution sparked by electrification and mechanization, and the Agricultural Revolution laid the foundation for civilization itself, we're now in the very beginnings of an intelligence explosion powered by the age of AI. Today, you can literally plug into a source of intelligence the same way you plug into electricity. What is different this time is the speed at which this is happening. Progress in AI is exponential and us humans are not wired to understand exponentials intuitively. The implications of this shift are profound and nobody truly knows where this is all heading, not even the leading experts.
As a parent of a curious three year old, I think about how AI can transform her educational journey. Can AI tutors offer personalized learning? How will traditional education change? What careers might exist when she enters the workforce? As someone keeping up with developments in the field, I'm incredibly excited by the possibilities and mindful of the rapid pace of change. And as a realist, I question whether our institutions and systems will evolve quickly enough to realize these benefits while addressing the inevitable challenges.
What we do know is that this AI moment represents an inflection point in human progress. And rather than waiting on the sidelines for consensus about what it all means, there's tremendous value in diving in and experiencing this transformation firsthand.
When the experts disagree
Even the foremost experts in artificial intelligence vehemently disagree about where this technology is heading. This divergence of opinion itself signals just how transformative AI might become.
Andrew Ng calls AI “the new electricity,” predicting it will revolutionize every industry just as electrical power did over a century ago. Meanwhile, Bill Gates anticipates massive job displacement in the coming years as AI automates tasks across sectors. Taking a more skeptical view, linguist Emily Bender warns that large language models (LLMs) are just “stochastic parrots,” lacking genuine understanding. On the more cautious end of the spectrum, Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "godfather of AI," has expressed concern that AI could potentially become an existential threat if it outstrips human intelligence. And Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, brings us full circle when he asserts that "AI will be the most transformative technology since electricity."
When experts with this level of insight can't reach consensus, it often indicates we're standing at the precipice of profound change. History shows us that revolutionary technologies are rarely understood in their early days. Few predicted how the internet would transform society when it first emerged. Rather than waiting for these experts to agree (which may never happen), the most valuable approach is to dive in and start experimenting now. The Cognitive Revolution isn't fully mapped out yet, meaning there's still time to shape how it unfolds in your own life and work. While expert opinions range widely, one thing is clear: AI is neither magic nor hype, and it has arrived in a very real sense.
AI gives you superpowers
When I say AI feels like magic, what I mean is that it can expand your skill set, extend your abilities, and allow you to have a greater impact on the world around you. It can expand the possibilities, save you time, and increase your personal agency. A few years ago, this was simply not possible. That is what makes it truly feel like magic.
What makes this relationship truly powerful isn't just finding shortcuts or automating tasks (though that's certainly valuable). The real power comes from the collaboration process itself. When you work with AI to mold its output into exactly what you need, you're learning to give better instructions and clarify your thinking. AI isn't just doing things for you, it's making you better. Every interaction improves your "AI skills" and your ability to leverage these tools effectively. By consistently working with AI as a thought partner, coach, teacher, or researcher, you're sharpening your own thinking and expanding your capabilities. AI use is a new core competency for the modern world.
In a recent interview, Kevin Kelly (founder of Wired magazine, author, and title holder for the most interesting man in the world) observed that using AI is a skill just like any other. A skill that must be developed. A skill that will take 10,000 hours or 10,000 iterations to master.
When it comes to working with AI, your goal should be simple: figure out where AI can add value to your life or work, then experiment. Don't worry about doing it perfectly at first. What matters is building the reflex to reach for these tools and developing the habit of collaboration. Treat AI as an accessible expert human and learn how to work together effectively. Working with experts may come naturally to some, but for most of us this is a skill that must be developed. Remember that iteration beats perfection! (Image generated by chatGPT)
It's like having a 132 IQ expert with infinite patience on retainer. A “second brain” who never gets tired, never judges your thoughts or ideas, and is always ready to help you with a problem. Five years ago this was science fiction. Two years ago it was cutting edge research. Today, it's just another app on your phone. We're living through technological magic in real time.
5 practical steps to get your family started with AI
The good news is that you don't need any technical background to start benefiting from AI. Here are a few examples of the ways I use AI on a daily basis:
1. Replace "Google it" with "ask AI"
Next time you need information, try Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Claude instead of a search engine. Ask questions in plain language like, "What's the best way to remove coffee stains?" or "Explain quantum computing like I'm 10." Unlike search engines that give you links to click and read through, AI gives you direct, conversational answers with citations so you can check for accuracy. The best part? You can ask follow up questions to dig deeper. Pro tip: use Deep Research agents available with Gemini, chatGPT, or Perplexity for in depth reports. With AI, you have a researcher at your fingertips. However, using AI as a better search engine is only scratching the surface.
2. Use AI for everyday writing
Need to draft a birthday message? Or help writing dialogue for the characters in your latest Game Design 101 masterpiece? Try asking AI to help. For example, type "Help me write a polite email declining a meeting invitation" or "Summarize this article I'm pasting here." You can (and should) always edit the results to add your personal touch, but AI can help you get past the blank page.
3. Let AI be your creative and through partner
Ask AI to brainstorm ideas for anything from weekend activities with kids to dinner recipes based on what's in your fridge. Try prompts like "What are five engaging activities for a rainy day with children?" or "What are some fun games to play on a road trip?" The suggestions might surprise you and spark your own creativity.
4. Learn something new
Ask AI to explain a concept you've always been curious about but never understood (or maybe those impossible-to-answer kid questions), like "How do noise canceling headphones work?", "Why does the sky look blue?", or “Help me explain my daughter’s homework assignment so I look like a genius!” You can follow up with questions to clarify points you don't understand, asking for simpler explanations or more detail as needed.
5. Talk to your AI using voice mode
For a truly futuristic experience, try the voice interaction options available in many AI tools. Instead of typing, you can have a natural conversation with AI while you're walking your dog, cooking, or multitasking. Voice mode makes your AI interaction feel like talking to a really helpful assistant rather than typing into a computer. At home we've even used this to generate stories for our three year old in fun voices. Just ask your AI to create a story featuring your child's favorite characters going to their chosen destination and let the AI fill in the adventure. For us, the take of ‘Froggy goes to the park with his friends wearing moose costumes’ was a classic. AI can be an endlessly creative storyteller.
How AI helped write this blog post
You might be wondering if I used AI to help write this post. The answer is yes, but probably not in the way you're thinking.
Instead of asking AI to "write a blog post about artificial intelligence," (try it, is it good?), I used it as a thought partner throughout the process. During several walks with my dog Moose, I dictated my early ideas into chatGPT, talking through concepts with Advanced Voice Mode. After organizing my thoughts, I asked the AI to challenge my assumptions and identify blind spots by having it ask me questions.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are great at retrieving information (they have access to the internet), processing vast amounts of information, making connections, identifying patterns, rapid text and code generation, and following instructions. However, they lack the human ability to navigate ambiguity, think strategically, provide direction, exercise judgment, and apply taste and creativity. This synergy is why combining AI capabilities with human guidance is so powerful.
A collaborative approach where the human provides the core ideas, experiences, and direction while AI helps challenge and extend the thinking represents the most powerful way to work with these tools. The content remains authentically mine, but the process of creating it was dramatically more efficient and the quality potentially higher than if I'd worked entirely alone. This is how I believe most knowledge work will be done in the future. Not by replacing human creativity, but by amplifying it through thoughtful collaboration with AI.
I always keep Ethan Mollick's "Four Rules of Co-Intelligence" top of mind when working with these tools: always invite AI to the table and experiment widely; keep a human in the loop for oversight; treat AI like a person by giving it a role; and remember that this is the worst AI will ever be because it is improving constantly.
Where is this all going?
Clarke’s Second Law: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." This is where we are with AI in a broad sense today. We are quite literally in uncharted territory and the map is being drawn and redrawn as we go. AI carries the potential to solve so many of our most pressing problems. Imagine all the ways this can go right. Harnessing AI can accelerate scientific discovery, help us develop new sustainable materials, optimize energy usage, personalize medicine, solve disease, and launch us into a Star Trek future. Similar to the agricultural, industrial, and information revolutions before, the cognitive revolution carries potential for transformation in the years to come, in ways that are hard to predict.
Yes, there are risks that demand discussion and careful navigation. Legitimate concerns around privacy, job displacement, spread of misinformation, IP and copyright law, and algorithmic bias will all have to be litigated, regulated, or solved in the coming years. AI advancement is outpacing our ability to keep up. But when we focus exclusively on potential downsides, we miss the extraordinary opportunity before us.
As a parent, I'm excited about the potential of deep AI integration into the education system and improving learning outcomes. The days of the traditional classroom with 30:1 teacher ratios are numbered. This environment is where underperforming students collect a gap in understanding that compounds over time and the best students are bored to tears. Soon, AI will be able to deliver personalized lessons at the exact pace, preferred format, and complexity that is best suited for each individual student.
This technology is moving faster than we can adapt as individuals, organizations, and collectively as a society. Individuals and organizations who can stay up to speed on where the technology is heading, while experimenting with AI and integrating it within their own personal operating systems will have a huge advantage in the years to come.
In the near future, because of the incredible leverage AI tools grant individuals and organizations, I anticipate AI skills will be a requirement in the workplace. Just like email or spreadsheets. If you can show employers (and yourself) that you know how to harness AI, you’ll stand out in a very competitive landscape. Dismiss it at your own peril. AI is a new core competency. I’m convinced that those who remain curious and open to AI will thrive in the future. If something doesn’t work as expected today, check back in a month. AI is moving at warp speed.
Welcome to the future. How will you use your new superpowers?