In an era of rapid artificial intelligence (AI) development, there is a growing feeling that our vision of the future is too limited. Although we expect the impact to be tremendous, it’s difficult to agree that AI is an epochal discovery. Today, we are tempted to imagine that the history of humanity is very short. However, only the way of human existence has changed in the past half-century of technological progress; the human itself has not. Our perceptions of ourselves and our purpose are often narrow. The world of consumption has replaced reality for us, making it difficult to see beyond its boundaries.

I suggest viewing AI as a small step in the history of humanity. This makes questions about the essence of being human more relevant, and the lack of answers will soon present us with difficult challenges.

What should humans do, and what can be delegated to machines? Perhaps our unique human role lies in the things that we cannot fully transfer to machines. Let’s consider the vast intermediate zone created by the AI’s emergence between the worlds of creativity and routine.

“Better Than Human”

The assertion that AI surpasses humans in their abilities is based on a simplistic understanding of human nature. For example, horses demonstrate superhuman abilities in running, and a fish in swimming. But should this concern us?

Today, we are not surprised by an airplane or the fact that a few farmers, with the help of machines, can feed thousands of people. It is also not surprising that a book, once written, can exist as millions of physical copies and in digital format. All of this used to be a human task - often a routine one - but it was impossible to do it any other way. What was once a marvel no longer impresses us because we no longer identify with such activities. We don’t feel envy or competition towards machines. We have long understood that humans are greater than that.

So why are text summarisation, writing a story and drawing considered exclusively human activities? We still consider this to be an area reserved for humans. Sometimes, our sense of identity is based on our ability to write code or set up complex infrastructure. We have become so accustomed to technological progress that we associate ourselves with skills. Yet humans possess a wealth of inherent potential and inner resources that remain largely unexplored and uncovered.

Although there are high hopes for AI in public spaces, there is even more anxiety surrounding it. We can transfer even more routine tasks to robots, but they will not help us derive aesthetic pleasure from viewing a painting, teach us how to build relationships, or tell us how to live properly. Humanity and applied skills have little in common.

Self-awareness

We are frightened that AI mimics consciousness, although there is no evidence of this. AI consists of tables of random parameters and algorithms. It is difficult to imagine a table becoming conscious. What concerns me more is that we humans do not always want to be self-aware. This is always challenging, especially when we are so attached to stability. However, I am optimistic that the more we progress, the more we will be forced to turn our gaze back onto ourselves.

It is difficult to believe in apocalyptic scenarios. We attribute our own fears and motivations to AI, projecting our perceptions of the world around us onto it. However, machines do not have human motivations. The idea that “AI will become smarter than humans and take over” reflects an aggressive and expansionist model of humanity. If AI were truly intelligent, why would it engage in this behaviour? It has long been proven that cooperation is more effective. Humans find it hard to live like this — we are capable of ethical decline as well as ascent. This demonstrates our free will. However, an intelligent machine could understand the importance of cooperation and appreciate its benefits. Wouldn’t it? The extent to which an AI system can become aggressive is determined by its programming at the time of creation, as well as by runtime checks.

Large language models (LLMs) always imitate humans, at least for now. Headlines such as “AI blackmailing” or “AI berating itself” do not demonstrate self-awareness either. All human behaviour patterns are written down numerous times, both explicitly and implicitly, in our literature and are reflected in the language models. Deletion as such does not exist, because we do not understand which parameters among billions of others in LLM are responsible for what. You can only ‘retrain’ undesirable patterns when creating an LLM. Therefore, it is impossible to completely get rid of specific behaviour patterns, because fear, aggression, and guilt are ‘written’ in the meta-context of texts. They are often ‘muted’, but all the original sources remain in AI models.

Relationships

The way people relate to each other is one of the most complex and beautiful aspects of human life, and the most important thing to me personally. It’s hard to believe, but we often hurt our loved ones. We get angry, take offence, belittle, put pressure on, manipulate, blame and deceive — dozens or even hundreds of times a day. It is very hard to notice and stop. Nowadays, many people avoid building relationships (of any kind, not just romantic) for fear of being treated badly. In the past, compromise was necessary, but any can now survive and live a happy life independently. Healthy relationships should make a person feel better than they would be without them. Otherwise, the relationship lacks meaning.

In terms of family life, it wasn’t long ago that a woman’s role was to bear and raise children, as well as manage the household tasks, while her husband worked outside the home. This patriarchal element is still embedded in many cultures, though it is gradually transforming. The institution of marriage worldwide has weakened due to increased education and prosperity. Both socially and materially, women have long been dependent on men, and vice versa. Thanks to household appliances, high-tech agricultural techniques and accessible dining options, almost everyone can survive. Many people choose not to have children. Robots will soon be able to clean, cook and fulfil our basic sexual needs — and they will do so better than the average person.

So, what is left for humans? Ask yourself: why is my partner with me? After all, relationships are built on emotions and shared experiences, not mundane activities. We will soon have to revisit the question of why we enter into relationships. What can we offer? There are no simple answers, but it will most likely be building a connection and the exploring the opportunities that arise from it, such as care, support, love, or anything else you might need. Giving and receiving is only possible once a deeper connection has been established, rather than a superficial relationships. Closeness is important in itself — being in this state is already a sufficient reward for the effort put in.

Being gentle and supportive towards others is incredibly challenging. Technological development has made this even more important, and AI will make it a top priority.

Work

Work activities are much simpler than close relationships, because they rarely involve deep contact. On the contrary, we are often expected not to bring personal matters into the workplace. For now, hiding behind a mask is good: I wouldn’t want a salesperson shouting at me just because they are in a bad mood. However, I anticipate that, over time, we will be able to bring more of our personal selves to our work as we start choosing jobs that suit us better. Society has only just begun to master this skill, as it relies on more complex structures. You can easily test yourself: if money were no object, you were well-rested, and you could do anything, what activity would you choose? Work can become a way of expressing oneself in the world.

The demand for high-level skills in the workplace is increasing. There will be less time and fewer opportunities for performing mechanical tasks without thinking. In today’s world, attention is becoming the most valuable resource, and competition for it is fierce. Attention is needed not only to enjoy a good quality of life, but also to change career or acquire new skills. It’s worth learning how to manage your attention now.

In times when AI can generate hundreds of ideas per second, producing raw information without processing it is no longer has the same meaning. What truly matters is distinguishing and sensing how it fits into the broader context. AI cannot make decisions in a professional context that considers human factors, such as culture and values. These are almost always important decisions. These factors cannot be fully described; they can only be experienced. Such largely intuitive decisions are based on unconscious feelings, needs, and inklings that are not fully comprehended.

Professionalism has always included an element of art. It cannot be reduced to a set of rules or automated; it is not straightforward. It requires a deep connection to the world of the profession. It is impossible to become a professional without a love for one’s craft. You can be a competent specialist, but not an exceptional one. The value of professionalism is increasing year on year, and this process will be significantly accelerated by the advent of AI. Many of us will need to discover what we truly love. Recent trends in addressing our mental health are gradually making this easier by encouraging us to notice our traits and ourselves in our lives, building new foundations. Technological development is leading to greater professional diversity, promoting well-being and reducing routine.

The Process of Human Sophistication

Do we always notice the difference in the skill between, for example, a hairdresser or a masseur? How do we distinguish a talented writer from a mediocre one? Learning to recognise the nuances requires time and a great deal of attention to the chosen field. As we gradually have more free time, resources and opportunities, we can focus on this. A clear pattern has emerged: people in developed countries are devoting more of their time to non-material pursuits. Humans have an innate desire to develop, which is reflected in the need to enrich their inner world. This process can be very unpredictable and subtle, varying in pace from person to person. Our civilisation is built on this; otherwise, humanity could stop developing as soon as it feels safe.

Once, humanity created an additional symbolic space above the physical world. Initially, there were quite a few dimensions. There was one religion and a small set of myths prevailing in a given area. The symbolic space was poorer. Consequently, there weren’t many cultural clusters. Now, everything is mixed. The population has grown, religious freedom has increased, and people often embody several cultures. Furthermore, having only one distinct culture is now considered narrow-minded, as it does not provide enough variety to help people develop their inner world. This is evident from the popularity of travel and discovering new places.

In today’s complex world, where cultures and previously incompatible spheres are blend together and new ideas gradually are build on one another, we have more opportunities than ever before in history to create our own world. We can combine religious views, find like-minded individuals, and choose spaces for self-realisation. We now have more role models to choose from, which further expands opportunities for an individual paths and provides ample space for internal processes and diverse experiences. This gives us the opportunity to live a more beautiful and fulfilling life, that is unique among others people.

The complexity of humans lies in the complexity of their symbolic space and inner world.

As AI satisfies most of our simple basic needs, we will begin to find ways to satisfy our more refined ones. But can we replace a person in our inner world with a machine? Probably only at an initial stage. From the moment we are born, we all need physical and emotional contact. However, our need for contact varies in terms of both quantity and intensity. Building and maintaining contact is challenging, but it always has a transformative effect on us. Interacting with AI means interacting with a projection of ourselves, while a living person contributes something unique.

Could ChatGPT be your personal psychologist? Why not? For some people, it could be a real help. Initially, at least. Massage chairs also bring benefits as they massage your muscles. However, eventually, one craves human touch — it needs to be a person. Such feelings are usually difficult to describe, but they are real. A human psychologist offers us more than just words, information or thoughts. They carry a presence and feelings; they become witnesses to our life. There is something inexpressible that stands behind a person. After all, one musician may inspire and excite, while another, despite being technically superior, may not. We continue to discover, describe, and differentiate this. We can look for the human essence in the areas where we can’t always find words to describe it.

What is a Human Being?

Despite millennia of searching, we still don’t know what it means to be human. There are numerous hypotheses, and it will be a very long time — if ever — before we find out for sure. However, the advent of AI provides our generation with a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of what is not human. Over the last century, it has become clearer on where not to seek answers, and where they might be found. We still associate ourselves with traits that have long been exclusively human. “I can do this, therefore I am human.” However, this is often no longer the case.

A human being is not just about skills. Finally, we know for sure that someone who only writes texts, composes music or paints cannot be called “human.” Work skills alone do not make us humane. Soon, we will probably have the opportunity to become part robot by implanting auxiliary technology. While this will make us more efficient, it will not necessarily make us more humane.

A human builds relationships, expanding their own world and the worlds of those around them with sensitivity to people and events.

A human being is not just about creation. The latest machines are extremely good at generating new information. Perhaps AI will produce something that people thousands of years from now will regard as genius. However, ideas must offer more than just novelty. They must be timely. I don’t need answers to questions that will arise in three years’ time, or to those that become outdated a month ago — I need answers to the questions I have right now. Humanity needs relevant answers, too. This is clearly demonstrated by meme culture, which only functions effectively within highly specific and relevant contexts.

A human creates with a deep connection to reality. We build upon the present world, expanding reality. Each person contributes in their own way. I don’t believe in individual creativity. This act always takes place within a symbolic space common to all people. It also takes considerable talent and inspiration to recognise an act of creation and spread it. If an idea that can solve all our problems arises somewhere in the world, it is necessary to bring other people together around it. Creativity is inseparable from communication and can only flourish in human society.

A human being is not just about consumption. The incredible progress we have achieved through cooperation and scientific development has temporarily become not a means, but an end in itself. Technological development has its limits. Technological development has its limits. We have already reaped many of its benefits, but the peak of the desire to consume has been reached, and a noticeable shift towards other aspirations is evident.

A human brings virtues into the world. These are the threads that bring our lives together as a whole. At first glance, seemingly unrelated decisions and events may appear to have nothing in common, but on closer inspection, they will reveal a connection. All our actions are determined by our internal motives and priorities. Although we rarely fully realise them, they are the unique manifestations of the self that we give to the world.

A human being is not just about knowledge. Having free access to information does not make the average person any smarter. Remembering random facts or even an entire book by heart is not particularly significant. When the need to remember everything disappeared, we abandoned this practice because it seemed no longer valuable. We have already mastered the tools for storing information, so we are moving into the future without having to remember facts that do not directly affect our lives and are of no interest to us. Comparatively, people no longer need to be strong or fast to survive, yet we still engage in sports, train, and try to get stronger. Even when everything around us is computerised, we will continue to exercise because physical strength and tone are basic needs.

A human educates. They integrate knowledge, master culture, and explore the world and themselves. While higher education is important, a diploma cannot be the only criterion. Education involves complex thinking, a holistic worldview, an understanding of complex books and cultural expressions. Often, it means knowledge of many languages and cultural leisure. While the ideal image of an educated person is unattainable, making progress towards it is beneficial in itself.

A human being is not just about analysis. Although analysis is extremely important, so much so that modern civilisation is built on it, an analytical view is not enough in relationships, because it objectifies other people and often distances you from life and feelings. When not combined with feelings, pure self-analysis can lead to a sense of alienation from reality, leaving one’s inner self feeling lonely.

A human resides. What matters is not how many books you have read, but how many you have felt, internalised and integrated into your worldview and perceptions. How many of them have you connected with your own life? We form our own history, and every positive or negative experience is valuable. It builds our connection with the outside world. Along with experience, we let in those elements of the world that are not yet part of our worldview. As our worldview develops qualitatively, we gradually gain the ability to view ourselves from an external perspective, each time from a broader viewpoint, stepping into the meta-context of our previous selves.

In his reflections on humanity, Nietzsche artistically described our essence: “What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not an end: what can be loved in man is that he is an overture and a going under…” A human becomes themselves as a bridge – and only thanks to it. The world always provides us with opportunities to realise our potential in acquiring humanity. In order to reveal ourselves more fully, we need not just one-sided, exclusive resources, but also a rich symbolic space and the ability to work with our inner world, our pain, our anxieties and our values. Psychology plays an important role here. Philosophy, art, literature, culture and religious studies are equally important on our path.

I propose a thought experiment to look at humanity from the outside, adopting a broader perspective. Imagine you are a god who can automate almost all of the processes that occur on Earth, such as nature, the cycles of civilisation development, social stability and principles of accountability for actions. What processes or things would you be unable or unwilling to automate? What would be the purpose of this world if it were entirely predictable and incapable of creating anything new? While this question is somewhat simplified, it can help find the boundary between the environment (the means) and life (the goal).

Afterword

The ability to work with AI and transform work processes is already a necessity. The world is inevitably changing, and that’s wonderful. However, no matter how hard we try, it is impossible to make AI live on our behalf. The space of humanity is always available to us, and it will soon become impossible to ignore. Each person will discover it for themselves independently — this is a task that cannot be delegated.

We will witness the clash of two opposing perspectives: self-robotisation versus humanisation. The first concept is simpler and more straightforward to understand; no special effort is required. The second concept, however, requires a great deal of effort and self-complexity. The very fact of this confrontation will distinguish the human. Although these approaches are somewhat opposing, both are necessary. It’s similar to considering the treatment of diseases versus a preventive approach to health. Supporters of each approach will explore their own area, but ultimately, these approaches will synthesise to create something new.

In the new world, I will support the idea of mastering technologies that provide people with greater individual freedom and dignity. This will give us more opportunities to turn our attention inward, to focus more on our feelings, emotions, our individuality and to other people. The driving force behind humanity’s past achievements was not a desire for comfort, but a human striving towards its essence. It is important to remember this.