Reflections on Artificial Intelligence: A Hammer in the Digital Toolbox

As someone who has spent over 25 years immersed in technology, from analyzing trends to innovating solutions, the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has been impossible to ignore. Yet, while AI is often heralded as the pinnacle of modern innovation, I maintain a skeptical stance towards the notion of its “intelligence.” AI is not a sentient being or the autonomous genius as it is portrayed in popular conversation, but more of a highly sophisticated tool—a hammer for the digital age. Just as a hammer helps to build tangible, real-world objects, AI aids in processing, analyzing, and filtering the immense volumes of data that define the modern world. However, it is not AI, but life outside the digital realm that makes up true reality, bringing fulfillment and meaning.

Decades of Technology and a Grounded Perspective

Throughout my career, I have relied heavily on my capacity for consuming information, distilling actionable insights, and contributing to technological solutions. Over the years, I have engaged with a wide range of technologies, from early internet protocols to advanced security measures, witnessing firsthand how digital environments have transformed. What stands out most is how the marketing hype around AI often deviates from the reality of what it can truly achieve. In fact, my experience has taught me that technological innovation often benefits more from human insight and adaptability than from the tools themselves, even when those tools are as powerful as AI.

Contrary to the extravagant claims about AI’s ability to “think” or “learn” in human terms, I see it more as an automation system—a highly useful one, but not a revolutionary entity capable of independent thought. AI can be programmed to recognize patterns, guess at outcomes, and even generate new content based on existing data, but its underlying operations are always defined by the boundaries of its programming and data inputs. Just as a hammer does not decide what it builds, AI does not autonomously decide what it achieves.

The Role of AI in Data Management and Automation

One of the most useful applications of AI in today’s world is its ability to sift through and make sense of vast quantities of data. This is true in cybersecurity, where the digital landscape is continually shifting, and the sheer volume of information is overwhelming. As a cybersecurity consultant, I’ve seen how AI-driven algorithms can streamline the identification of potential threats, automate repetitive processes, and even suggest optimal responses to potential security events. These are undoubtedly valuable contributions.

However, the genuine power behind AI is its ability to automate tasks that would otherwise take humans hours or even days to complete. Sorting, filtering, and analyzing vast amounts of data is not new, but as the volume of data continues to expand exponentially, human capacity alone becomes insufficient. In this sense, AI is akin to a turbocharged hammer that not only hits the nail but can hit a thousand nails in the time it would take a human to do one. Still, this does not make it intelligent; it makes it fast and efficient, amplifying the human ability to perform tasks but never replacing the need for human oversight and interpretation. And more importantly, we give these actions meaning.

For example, when I conduct security assessments or analyze potential gaps, the use of AI-based tools can speed up the process significantly. But these tools still need human experts to verify the findings, make judgment calls, and decide on the best courses of action. AI provides data-driven insights, but without a person interpreting that data, it remains abstract and, many times, incomplete.

The Offline Life: True Reality and Fulfillment

Perhaps paradoxically, given my career trajectory in cyber technology and my ongoing research in cyberpsychology, I do not believe that life online or within digital environments represents the full spectrum of human experience. In fact, my offline life—grounded in the relationships I have with family, friends, and the physical world—holds far greater significance. My connection to these real-world experiences shapes my understanding of what is important and meaningful.

My belief in the significance of offline reality remains strong, even though I work with digital technology. Social media, cyberspace, and even AI-driven platforms provide tools for communication and information, but they do not substitute for the deep, meaningful connections that come from human relationships. The advent of AI has further entrenched the concept of a virtual world, but for me, that world, while useful, is secondary to the tangible, lived experience of reality.

This perspective might seem at odds with my role as a cybersecurity consultant. After all, the field is deeply embedded in the online world, protecting digital assets, systems, and information. But it is precisely because I am so familiar with the digital landscape that I see it for what it is—a constructed subverse, not a replacement for the real world. The digital sphere, with all its advances, remains a tool—a hammer, if you will. It is life offline, with all its unpredictability, its richness of human interaction, and its immediacy, that is the real “building” that matters.

AI and the Broader Technological Landscape

Looking ahead, AI will continue to evolve and permeate every sector of society. In my fields of cybersecurity and cyberpsychology, AI-driven systems will probably become even more sophisticated, aiding in the defense against increasingly complex cyber threats and influencing the mental states of humankind. Yet, the challenges that come with AI are not technical, but human. As we integrate AI into more areas of life, from healthcare to education to personal assistants, the question becomes not “what can AI do?” but “what should AI do?” The ethical frameworks surrounding the use of AI are where real intelligence—human intelligence—comes into play.

Technological advancement is inevitable, but how we choose to harness these tools will shape the future of society. AI can help us automate, streamline, and protect, but it will never replace the essence of human experience—our relationships, our creativity, and our moral reasoning.

Focus on the Richness of Life

As I reflect on my career and the current trajectory of AI, my thoughts continually return to one central idea: AI is a tool, not a replacement for human intelligence or experience. Just as a hammer does not build a house on its own, AI does not create meaning or insight without human guidance. It is an enabler, a facilitator, a helper—but the genuine work, the real world, lies beyond the digital algorithms and virtual spaces.

Offline life, with its richness, unpredictability, and interpersonal connections, remains the foundation of reality. The value of technology, AI included, lies not in replacing that reality, but in making aspects of it more manageable, more efficient, and, sometimes, more profound. However, we must remember that technology, like the tools we use, is only as good as the hands that wield it and the lives that unfold around it.