How to “AI Proof” Your Business and Income

My oldest daughter has started to think about life after high school.

When I was younger I would roll my eyes when old men would say things like,

“They grow up so fast.” or “Where did the time go?” ????

Now that I’m older I get it…but I’m still not going to say it. ??

The standard prescription for a kid her age is to go to college, find a man, get married, and work for a year or two before getting pregnant. Then spend the next 20-25 years raising kids.

Over the years I’ve tried to show my kids an alternative to that life.

Not because I think they should choose one path over another…

But because I want them to know that there are endless ways to create a great life.

I reiterated this to my daughter at breakfast recently. I said,

“Over the next few years, you’re going to feel a ton of pressure to make some big life decisions.

I want you to know that it’s okay for you to NOT know what you want to do. It’s okay for you to take a year off, even two years, to figure out what you’re really passionate about.”

My daughter has some money set aside for college but I wanted her to know that she could spend that money in a lot of different ways.

“If you want to use it for school that’s great. If you want to use it to start a business or to travel and see the world, that’s also okay. The important thing for you, at this stage of your life, is to try as many things as possible so you know where your passions lie.”

To be candid, I’d like for her to wait a while before deciding to attend college.

I’m convinced artificial intelligence is going to kill the demand for labor across every industry in the next 20 years.

Waiting a few years before committing to a $100k education seems as much prudent as it is practical.

And that brings me to the point of today’s letter.

Yesterday I wrote to you about the hierarchy of thinking we need to have when deciding how to respond to all the risks and opportunities we’re faced with.

If you haven’t read that letter you can find it here: https://jasonstapleton.com/there-is-a-reckoning-coming/

Today I’d like to give you my thoughts on artificial intelligence and how you can “AI-proof” your business and income.

As I write this letter, the world is drifting towards a reality where humans will (apparently) become obsolete.

We’re told (almost gleefully) by elitist experts and technology corporatists that our future is one where robots will be superior to humans in every way.

A world where truth, wisdom and life experience will be replaced by some collective digital intelligence.

For now, the coaching and consulting world has divided into two camps.

The first camp asks, “How can these tools minimize the time and effort in the content production process?”

They see AI as a tireless source of free writing labor, capable of spitting out content at a blistering rate with the goal of winning the attention war by outproducing everyone else.

It won’t work.

There is no competitive advantage in this approach.

Anyone can use AI to create this kind of content. All it will do is add to the digital noise your clients are forced to contend with.

High-quality people aren’t searching for Artificial Intelligence.

They don’t want to tune in to fake AI avatars delivering low-resolution, machine-driven content.

They’re searching for real people who produce soul-driven work.

What was true yesterday will be true tomorrow…

Human creativity will continue to be the highest-value activity you can engage in.

It will also be the only commercially marketable activity you can profit from in an economy transitioning to artificial intelligence.

Your ability to find a balance between artistic expression and commercial production will be what insulates you from the changes we face…

Not your ability to use AI to circumvent the creative process or to replace your need to create real, human connection.

And that brings us to the topic of creativity.

What does it mean to be creative and how can you harness the power every human has to create something new and authentic from the mountain of known knowledge that exists?

But that is a conversation for tomorrow.

Until then,

Jason

P.S. If you get value from these letters please share them. Forward it to a friend, share your thoughts on social media. Help me spread this message to the world.

And if you happened to receive this email from a friend, consider subscribing at https://jasonstapleton.com/em/