AI Isn’t Supposed to Replace What We Love Doing
Look—I get that AI is fast, smart, and getting better every day. It’s great for automating the stuff that drains your time or sanity. But there’s this creeping idea that AI should replace everything, even the things we actually enjoy doing. That’s where I draw the line.
Take painting. The goal isn’t to generate a perfect image in record time. The goal is to paint. To feel the brush drag across the canvas, mix the colors, screw it up and start over. That process—the messy, human part—is where the joy is. When AI shortcuts that, it’s not making life better. It’s stealing an experience.
Stop Optimizing the Soul Out of Life
We’ve trained ourselves to think “faster = better.” But not everything needs to be efficient. Not everything should be a prompt. Writing a song, cooking from scratch, jamming with friends, painting something no one will ever see—these things feed us in ways AI can’t.
Could AI help someone with a disability express themselves through art? 100%. And that’s beautiful. That’s what it should be doing: unlocking new doors, not slamming old ones shut. Helping people do, not replacing the doing itself.
Tools, Not Substitutes
The best use of AI? Make it your co-pilot. Let it spark ideas, take on the grunt work, speed up the boring stuff. But when it starts replacing things that bring you joy? That’s a red flag.
Painting isn’t about the final image. It’s about getting lost in the moment. It’s soul work. And if you hand that over to a machine just because it’s “easier,” you’re not saving time—you’re giving away something that makes you human.
Let AI work for you, not be you.
Yes, I used AI to help me crystalize these thoughts in a way to help me communicate this important message.
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