Welcome to the machine

GenAI, AGI, and soon ASI are probably here to stay. It is about how we humans choose to utilize the tools and not replace human-to-human connection with them. This leads me to ask: How do we reshape (or reframe) human connection in the age of AI?

I recently had the opportunity to attend a workshop hosted by George Mason University Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) master’s students. As an alumnus of the program, I’m always looking for ways to reconnect with the community—the human-to-human stuff, like meeting new people, having conversations, and exchanging LinkedIn handles and business cards.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. Dr. Hau spoke about the science of relationships—how they are vital for learning, well-being, team success, and lifelong fulfillment; something a machine can’t replace (yet). In this AI era, we face a choice: Path One (more alone) or Path Two (more together). It was at this point in Dr. Hau’s presentation that I looked around the packed room and realized that most humans prefer Path Two: more together.

So, my question to you, fellow humans: When was the last time you felt "more together," and what are you doing to balance AI with being human?