Summoning AI: Lessons from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for a New Age

"Never summon powers you cannot control." —Yuval Noah Harari, Nexus

In 1797, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe penned The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (German: Der Zauberlehrling), a poem about an eager apprentice who, left unsupervised, enchants a broom to fetch water. The magic quickly spirals out of control as the apprentice is unable to stop the broom from flooding the room. Desperately, he tries to break the spell, but his limited knowledge leads to chaos instead of control. Ultimately, the sorcerer returns to fix the mess.

While many may recognize this tale from Disney’s famous portrayal, its original message is a powerful allegory for unintended consequences—especially relevant today as we summon technologies like AI that may outpace our ability to control them. The story reminds us that while innovation brings promise, it can also lead to peril if wielded without foresight or caution.

The Evolving Lens: From Promise to Peril

As someone who has spent a career at the intersection of technology and philanthropy, I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible promise of innovation. In my younger years, I was always first in line to download the latest beta or push the boundaries of what technology could do—often without stopping to consider the long-term implications. But with time, my perspective has shifted.

Today, it’s impossible for me to look at any new technology without questioning not just its potential, but its broader impact on humanity. What are the unintended consequences? What might go wrong that we aren’t seeing yet?

In an age where AI advancements are growing exponentially, these questions are no longer optional—they are critical. We stand on the edge of a technological revolution that, like the apprentice’s enchanted broom, could either serve us or overwhelm us. The balance we must strike is not just between promise and peril, but between vision and wisdom.

Four Tech Moments that Blew My Mind

I’ve spent decades immersed in technology, building computers, coding websites, and innovating in digital storage. Over the years, I’ve seen many incremental improvements. But there have been four key moments in my life when I knew a particular technology would change everything:

MIND BLOWN MOMENT #1: 1991 – The Internet

During my freshman year of college, I was using an IBM PS1 with a whopping 6MB of RAM. I bought my first modem and dialed into Prodigy.net . Slow? Yes. Glitchy? Absolutely. But it felt like magic. This new technology opened the door to e-commerce, remote communication, and global connection. It transformed every facet of life in ways we are still unraveling today.

MIND BLOWN MOMENT #2: 1994 – The Iomega Zip Drive

Storage had always been a limiting factor in computing, but the Iomega Zip Drive, with its 100MB of storage, felt like a breakthrough. For the first time, storage limitations were lifted, making room for new levels of innovation and creativity. It wasn’t long before CDs, DVDs, and other storage mediums followed, but the Zip Drive signaled the beginning of a new era.

MIND BLOWN MOMENT #3: 2022 – ChatGPT

When ChatGPT emerged in November 2022, I knew immediately it would be a game-changer. The ability to have nuanced, intelligent conversations with an AI felt like science fiction turned reality. But even in those first moments of excitement, a question lingered: Is "authentic" the same as being true? The transformative power of this technology was undeniable, but so were the ethical dilemmas it raised.

MIND BLOWN MOMENT #4: 2024 – NotebookLM

Just last week, I received an audio file from a colleague, Cherian Koshy. It was a nine-minute AI-generated podcast discussing a donor survey we’d conducted. The conversation was so articulate, so natural, that I had to pause after two minutes and call him. “Is this real?” I asked. His response: “Yup.” In that moment, I realized we had crossed another threshold—one where AI-generated content is indistinguishable from human interaction.

AI is an Exponential, Not Sequential, Force

We haven't seen anything yet.

From an end-user perspective, I share these examples not to draw attention to my age (trust me, I know I'm old!) but to share the dramatic decreases in timespan between mind-blowing advances in the age of AI. Advances in AI are happening at a pace unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Traditional technologies depend on human intervention and follow a linear path. AI, however, is different. It trains itself, continuously improving with each cycle. This means that progress is no longer measured in decades, but in months—or even weeks.

As we embrace these breakthroughs, we must be vigilant. We’ve seen what happens when we fail to anticipate the consequences of new technology. George Orwell said it best: “Ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is control.” If we’re not actively engaged in shaping the direction of AI, we risk becoming passive participants in its evolution.

Goethe’s poem offers us a timeless lesson: just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. The apprentice’s failure was not in his ambition, but in his lack of preparation for the forces he unleashed. With AI, the stakes are even higher. Once we unleash the power of self-learning systems, they will evolve faster than we can control them—just like the enchanted broom.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice in the Age of AI

The decision to use AI in nonprofit work (or any sector) must be made with caution. There will be many cases where the answer to whether we should use AI is a resounding yes. But there will also be moments when the wiser choice is to pause, reflect, and say no. The difference will come down to whether we took the time to ask the question at all.

Practical Tips for Nonprofits Incorporating AI

Here are some guiding principles for navigating the balance between promise and peril:

1. Align with your values – Ensure that the use of AI aligns with your personal and organizational mission.

2. Establish AI governance – Create policies that prioritize humanity over utility, ensuring ethical use.

3. Think long-term – Evaluate both short-term benefits and long-term risks before implementing new technology.

4. Move from passive to active AI strategies – Be intentional and proactive with AI, rather than reactive.

5. Disclose AI usage – Be transparent with stakeholders about when and how AI is being used.

6. Reevaluate constantly – AI evolves rapidly. Regularly reassess your approach to stay aligned with your mission.

Now more than ever, we must balance human wisdom with the lure of innovation. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to shape the future of AI, ensuring that it serves humanity, not the other way around.

Just like the apprentice in Goethe’s tale, we find ourselves at a moment of immense power and possibility, summoning forces that could either serve us or spiral out of control. The difference lies in our ability to remain vigilant, to not be seduced by the ease of magic—or in our case, technology—without fully understanding the consequences. AI has the potential to transform our work and our world, but only if we approach it with both vision and caution.

As we stand at this crossroads, let’s remember the lessons of the apprentice: wisdom must guide ambition, and responsibility must shape progress. Together, we can ensure that the technologies we unleash enhance our humanity, not diminish it. The future is in our hands—let's build it with intention, integrity, and heart.

The future is ours to shape. For me, I'll continue to shape by thinking like a futurist, but with the heart of a humanist. I hope you'll join me on this adventure.

In yours, AI Responsibly.

#AI #TechForGood #LeadWithHeart #HumanConnection #ResponsibleAI