AI Can’t Take Flight Without Us

You can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about AI—how it’s changing everything, how powerful it is, how it’s here to stay. All of that may be true. But lately I’ve been thinking less about what AI will do to us, and more about what we choose to do with it.

I recently took a class to help me get started with AI tools, and I have to admit: I’m having fun. Not just because it’s fast or efficient (though it is), but because it’s helped me unlock something I’ve often struggled with—getting started creatively.

I’ve used AI to help draft the introductions and summaries for my podcast, Her Life, Her Practice, Her Way. It gives me a solid starting point. I usually go back and revise the tone, add what stood out most to me, and make it more personal—but the hardest part, the blank page, is no longer so intimidating.

My sister Tina co-hosts our other podcast, Messy Middlescence, and writes all of her intros the old-fashioned way, without AI. In one episode, she introduced our brother Tim by saying that he’s the person we’d both call if we ever needed to “get rid of a body.” (To be clear: we haven’t!) That line said everything about his problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, and the wide network of people he quietly supports. It was the perfect story—funny, specific, human. And there’s no way AI would have come up with that on its own.

That’s the thing. AI can’t generate meaning from nothing. It can’t recall your childhood memories, inside jokes, or the quiet way someone shows up for you. It needs something to push off of. Us. We’re the ones with the stories. The connections. The taste. The soul.

What comes to mind for me is a story I once heard (and I can’t remember the source or exact quote), but it went something like this: a bird can’t take flight if you drop your finger. It needs something solid to push off from. That’s how I think about our role when using AI. We have to provide the substance—the stories, the emotion, the spark. AI can help shape it, organize it, and carry it forward. But it’s our uniquely human input that gives it the solid foundation to lift off of and provide direction.

I see it with my son, too. He’s obsessed with roller coasters and is building the amusement park of his dreams using AI. He imagines the ride, the twists and turns, and then uses AI to refine the design and bring it closer to reality. Some might say it’s not “real” because it’s digital—but I see a creative, curious mind at work. He’s learning, building, dreaming. And he’s doing it in a way that would’ve been nearly impossible a generation ago.

AI is powerful. But information is cheap. What’s rare—and what we need now more than ever—is discernment. Taste. The ability to weave our ideas, memories, and meaning into something worth sharing.

So no, AI isn’t going to replace us. But it might just help more of us start. If you’ve ever felt unsure of your voice or overwhelmed by the creative process, maybe AI can be your co-conspirator too. Just give it something real to push off of—and see where it takes you.

I’d love to hear—have you been experimenting with AI in your own life or work? What’s been surprising, helpful, or even frustrating?