I often get asked, “Is AI good or bad for humanity?” Unfortunately, I never know how to answer it properly. I answer differently every time, in fact. Depending on what I’ve been thinking and on what I’ve read most recently, sometimes I lean towards “good” and other times I lean towards “bad”… But I’ve been thinking about this more and more, and I think I now have an acceptable answer, and it’s one that merges two sentences from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book called Flow. In the book, of course, Csikszentmihalyi talks about something else completely. He talks about the flow experience and says that, like everything, flow isn’t “good” in itself. It depends on how, why, and when it’s used. And I think the same goes for AI. First of all, “it is an illusion to believe that any solution is beneficial for all people and all times; no human achievement can be taken as the final word.” But at the same time, “if mankind had tried to ban fire because it could be used to burn things down, we would not have grown to be very different from the great apes.”
The Paradox in What I Do
There’s a paradox in what I do. From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, much of my work focuses on helping people understand how they can leverage AI in the workplace. Broadly speaking, I build programs, run projects, and deliver workshops that help government entities (and, occasionally, individuals) adopt AI. That’s what I do during the day. In the evening, however, I do the opposite. I talk about the dangers of artificial intelligence. I look at the power mechanisms at play, the politics behind the technology, its psychological and sociological implications, and the (possible) dystopian futures every new update unlocks.
But although what I do under the sun and what I do under the moon may appear to contradict one another, a second look reveals what I’m really after. I understand that we are living in liminal times and that AI will give birth to an unimaginable world that we’ll need to adapt to and live in; therefore, I aim to help individuals remain human, retain their ability to think, preserve their freedom, and find ways to live meaningful, fulfilling lives in the age of AI.
I understand, however, that what I do during the day may indirectly contribute to the things I criticize in the evening.
And, of course, I teach, and I learn as I go. What AI can do today is only a fragment of what AI will be able to do tomorrow. This means there’s something new to learn every day, something that can make our lives better, and something that can make our lives worse. And, at least for now, I’m keeping an eye on things.
Lebanese Wines: Adyar Sangiovese 2018
Name: Adyar Sangiovese 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Sangiovese
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: Batroun
Date Consumed: October 25, 2026
An easy-to-drink wine by Adyar. This bottle of Sangiovese brings to your palate notes of red cherry, strawberry, tomato, and spice. Drink it on its own, while cooking, or pair it with Italian dishes made with red sauce… Overall, I’d say it’s a good wine, but it’s not one made for wine nights or wine lovers who enjoy dissecting every sip, if you know what I mean. When it’s in your mouth, you wouldn’t close your eyes to imagine the terroir it came from. But I wouldn’t say it lacks complexity, of course. It is what a Sangiovese should be. It’s just that it’s too… straightforward.
