A&E columnist, futurist and speaker John Sanei discusses our role in the AI Revolution
Over the past hundred years, humanity has tried to manage itself in various ways, but one thing has always been the common thread: the human being was at the centre of the story.
Fast-forward to today, and something subtle but seismic has shifted. We’ve taken ourselves out of the narrative. Talk of the future is no longer about us; it’s about artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and digital transformation. The algorithms are now the main characters. The human being? A subplot. And yet, in this rush toward innovation and disruption, many of us are left with a quiet, unsettling question: Where do I fit in? That’s the real conversation. Not just what can AI do? But what does it mean to be a human of the future?
The Awareness Gap
Albert Einstein once said: “You cannot solve a problem from the same awareness that created it.” Right now, awareness—not intelligence, not money, not even data—is the currency of the future. So, what is awareness? And more importantly, how fast can we shift it? The truth is, it doesn’t matter how experienced you are, how many books you’ve read, or how big your company is – if your awareness is stale, your perspective will be too. We’ve seen it happen to organisations that were once titans. Their downfall wasn’t incompetence. It was stagnation. They didn’t adapt their awareness fast enough to keep up with a shifting world. To remain relevant, humans have to do something deeply unnatural: evolve consciously. Not once. But constantly. That’s the first shift we need to make. Awareness isn’t a trait. It’s a skill. And it needs daily training.
The Addiction to Identity
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Sounds good in theory, right? But here’s the truth: unlearning isn’t academic. It’s emotional. It means letting go of parts of your identity, such as roles, beliefs, career paths, and even success formulas, that no longer serve you. And here’s the uncomfortable part: identity is sticky. We’re addicted to our personalities. Even the parts that hurt. Even the versions of ourselves we’ve outgrown. We cling because it’s familiar. But in a world changing at exponential speed, familiarity becomes a trap. And survival belongs to those who can let go. So the next time you find yourself resisting change, ask:
Am I protecting my growth? Or just my identity?
That’s the second shift. We don’t just need to upgrade our skills. We need to rewrite who we think we are.
The Race You Can’t Win
Let’s state the obvious: you will never outpace AI. You can’t process data faster. You can’t work around the clock. You can’t work without sleep, food, or emotional breaks. So stop trying.
The goal isn’t to outdo the machine. It’s to become the kind of human the machine can’t be.
As technology advances in processing power, humans must also evolve in their presence, purpose, and perception. That looks like ethical reasoning, emotional depth, creativity and storytelling, empathy, intuition and resilience in chaos. These are survival skills. In a world of machine intelligence, emotional intelligence becomes your real edge.
The Subtraction Principle
To become something new, you must first subtract your mental models, outdated beliefs, and inherited assumptions. This is how transformation works. Ask yourself:
• What do I believe that might no longer be true?
• What parts of me are due for an upgrade?
• Where am I still running code that was written in a different era?
This is neurological rewiring. The brain clings to the familiar, but it can change. And when it does, so will your life.
Rewriting the Narrative
While AI can simulate intelligence, it can’t simulate meaning. That’s our job. This is the real frontier – not artificial intelligence, but authentic humanity. That begins with three shifts:
Expand your awarenes
Not with more information, but with more curiosity. Make roomfor new ways of seeing. Awareness isn’t what you know – it’s what you’re open to knowing.
Let go of old identities
Stop confusing your past roles with your future relevance. You’re not your résumé. You’re not your habits. You’re not even your personality. You’re a possibility.
Develop the skills AI can’t copy
Be more human. That means more compassion. More imagination. More nuance. Machines may take over tasks. But meaning is still ours to create.
The Final Shift
This moment in history isn’t just about the rise of machines – it’s about the rise of a new kind of human. One who’s fluid, aware, values-driven, and deeply alive. So if you’re asking Where do I fit in?, the answer isn’t in the code. It’s in the question. Don’t try to compete with the algorithm – redefine the narrative. The future doesn’t belong to the fastest, the smartest, or the most connected. It belongs to the most adaptable.
