I had lunch with an old friend last week, and he asked me a question that still has free rent in my brain.

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“What if the best AI technology won’t replace our humanity, but instead amplifies it?

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There's no doubt that we're living through an AI revolution, and the irony isn't lost on me: as machines get smarter, many of us worry we're becoming less human. But what if we've been looking at this backward? What if AI isn't here to diminish our humanity, but to help us reclaim it?

Here's an example... I just released my new book, Stroke of Success. After I was done writing it, I asked Claude.ai a simple question, "What is missing from my book?" I expected it to share some stats, metrics, or a poorly written story about fighting through toughs in life. Instead, it shared an entire resources section that included support groups, breathing exercises, and even meditation recommendations. When used intentionally, AI doesn't automate away our humanity; it clears the space for it to flourish.

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The Paradox of AI and Humanity

Here's what I mean: how much of your day is consumed by tasks that drain you? Scheduling meetings, sorting emails, formatting reports, searching for information you know exists somewhere. These aren't the things that make us human. They're the noise that drowns out our humanity.

AI excels at handling this noise. And when we offload these cognitive burdens, we create room for what matters: deep thinking, creative problem-solving, meaningful connection, and presence.

The Shift in Mindset

The key is asking a different question. Not "What can AI do for me?" but instead "What do I want to be more human at?"

Do you want to be more present with your family? Let AI handle your meeting notes so you can focus on listening. Want to be more creative? Use AI for research and outlining, allowing you to focus on the ideas only you can generate. Want to be more empathetic? Let AI draft routine responses, freeing you to focus on conversations that genuinely need your human touch.

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Four Ways to Use AI to Reclaim Your Humanity

• Automate transactional tasks to prioritize relational ones. Identify repetitive tasks that don't require your unique human judgment, like email sorting, data entry, and basic research, and let AI handle them. Use the time you save for face-to-face conversations, mentoring, or simply being present with the people who matter.
• Use AI as a thinking partner, not a replacement for thinking. Instead of asking AI to give you answers, use it to explore ideas, challenge your assumptions, and uncover blind spots. The goal isn't to outsource your thinking; it's to enhance it. Ask "What am I missing?" instead of "What's the answer?" (Sound familiar)???
• Let AI handle the perfection so you can focus on authenticity.: AI can improve your grammar and format your documents flawlessly. This allows you to focus on your authentic voice, unique perspective, and emotional authenticity. The mechanical perfection is taken care of; your role is to be genuinely you.
• Establish boundaries that safeguard human-centered time. Use AI to group and simplify your digital tasks, then set clear limits around the time you've regained. Schedule "human hours" where technology supports connection rather than distraction. The goal of efficiency isn't to do more; it's to be more.

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The Bottom Line

AI isn't making us less human. Our decisions about how we use it determine whether it enhances or reduces our humanity. The technology itself is neutral; our intent is everything.

The future belongs to those who can harness AI's power while emphasizing the unique human qualities that machines cannot imitate empathy, creativity, wisdom, presence, and connection.

So the question isn't whether AI will make us less human. The real question is: now that AI can handle the mechanical, what will you do with your humanity?

Ready to reclaim your humanity in the age of AI? You can start with one task this week: identify something that drains your energy but does not require your unique human insight. Let AI handle it and invest that time in something only you can do. Then tell me: what did you choose?

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