I’m worried about People, not A.I.

joahspearman
3 min readFeb 3, 2023

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Humans are so much better than people.

Frankly, people are a poor substitute for humans.

Humans have souls and spirits. You can feel and see and experience the presence of a human with a simple glance in a crowded bar or in a deep conversation in which the topic is less important than the company and communication taking place.

People have agendas and aspirations that are often so externally driven and internally bankrupt that you can feel the transactional nature of the person’s intent after a few seconds of small talk or after years of observing what those people do when human needs conflict with their own agendas and wants.

Humans fall short and fail. Humans feel heartbreak and grief and joy and gratitude. Humans accomplish greatness not as a pursuit but out of purpose. Humans are adventurous on their own regard; they do not wait for permission to explore who they become in the process of experiencing life’s depth.

People win or lose. People create stories that are close enough to the truth to be believed rather than greeting the reality of fact in order to grow and learn. People go after what is known and, when challenged with the unknown, people often stop going at all. People are not independent; they are codependent.

Humans were made by God. Created in His image.

People were made by society. Created in its image.

Humans have faith and spirituality and the universe. Humans view themselves in the larger construct.

People have goals and plans and the world. People view themselves primarily through the lens of others.

Humans can make you feel seen and felt and heard. Humans help you find meaning in existing.

People can hear without listening and look without seeing. People have to work to create meaning because they believe it’s not already present.

Humans make love, walk aimlessly in new cities, stop and smell the roses, have superstitions, cry when they’re happy, give themselves grace, are flawed.

People make themselves the victim first, tell you how busy they are, fly first class but don’t know how to tip, control others passively, get wealth yet stay poor.

Humans sit next to you on a chairlift in Park City, Utah, telling you about the time they were the tour photographer for The Rolling Stones, and get more excited telling you about a $4 bus in Costa Rica.

People will wear a badge and refuse to see a human just because of their skin color; people will assume the worst despite knowing the very least. People will trust their own lies over the known truths of others.

Humans become soulmates and mentors and grannies and anonymous donors and live after death.

People become narcissists and oligarchs and manipulative and die before they stop living.

Humans lean in, if not with their bodies, with their ears or their smiles or their hearts.

People sit back, if not with their bodies, with their words and their influence and their intentions.

Humans live in cities and small towns and islands.

People live wherever money and gossip lives.

Humans create.

People consume.

Humans don’t need people, but people have amassed control in ways humans do not value so they rule the world in which humans exist.

Soon, people will be replaced with AI. Or some other technology that replaces the need for people.

But we’ll still need humans.

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joahspearman
joahspearman

Written by joahspearman

I believe. I have ideas and turn some into businesses. Sometimes I run long distances. Chris Nolan, ATCQ, Lake Como & Murakami are my favorites. @joahspearman

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