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Storytelling Is How We’ll Survive in an AI World
It’s the most uniquely human thing you can do
I’ve rarely been what you’d call an “early adopter” of new technology. But a little over a year ago, my job forced me to become one.
Okay, forced might be a little strong. But I had to learn how to use generative AI because the company I worked for started using it to write all their content (and no, it didn’t work).
Still, I became a fairly early adopter of ChatGPT, and got good at using it as an asset to boost my productivity. It’s amazing — and a little scary — what generative AI can do. It will inevitably replace some jobs, and this scares many people. But I think there’s another, more positive consequence people aren’t talking about as much. Artificial intelligence will put a premium on human creativity.
As the lines between what’s real and what’s not get more blurred, people will long for a human creativity in their media and content. And one creative skill stands out as uniquely human and meaningful: storytelling.
Stories shape our lives and culture
I don’t write about politics. But I understand why we have so much polarization right now (here in the US). Both sides are telling radically different stories.
Each has their own narrative about the way things are, and how things should be in the future. The stories are at odds with each other, so there’s no middle ground.
The side that wins will be the side that convinces the most people to believe their story. On a smaller scale, I’ve learned the #1 predictor of our happiness and success in life boils down to the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.
In other words, the role you see yourself playing affects your life depending on whether you’re a:
- Victim
- Overcomer
- Achiever
- Unlucky
All these roles carry stories in them. We say things like, “I’m so unlucky because…” and then we find all the ways we’ve been unlucky in life.
Your mind can’t help listing them off. The more you see, the more reasons you find to support your story. When…
