Thursday, October 30, 2025

The Case Against Technology: Again

Hey Tek-ninjas! It’s been a while since my last post.

Recently, I had an interesting conversation with someone from a company that creates AI avatars modeled after real people. She posed an intriguing question: if they made an avatar of my CEO, what scenarios could I imagine that avatar taking part in?

Honestly, I was stumped. While an avatar might respond to questions in the voice and manner of my CEO, I pointed out that a big part of what people value in those interactions is the genuine sense of connection with the individual themselves. Even if the AI “feels” authentic, the relationship is fundamentally different—it’s not actually them you’re connecting with.

To be clear, I use AI in many aspects of my work and life. The genie is out of the bottle—AI is here to stay. Instead of resisting, I believe it’s smarter to learn how to leverage these tools than to risk being left behind.


This conversation reminded me of the video above made about 15 years ago by the great folks at Don Johnston, who were a developer of human learning solutions, particularly focusing on tools to support students who struggle to read and write. Evidently, the Don Johnston brand was retired awhile back, and their website has migrated to Texthelp.  

The video's message feels more relevant now than ever. I wanted to share it today—not to suggest you must jump into Ai completely, but to encourage everyone to avoid sticking their head in the sand. Find your own way to understand AI and its possibilities. Many of the assertions made in the video feel more true today than ever before. 

I realize this may be a hot topic for some, especially those in the art space. I'd love to hear how other's are leveraging Ai to improve their occupational performance.