AI is challenging us to rethink how we work and what we value.

AI is making waves: boosting productivity, triggering lawsuits, and reshaping the job market. It’s not just another tech trend—it’s a tidal wave of change that’s challenging us to rethink a lot of things. The question isn’t how much AI is changing things—I think we can all see it’s changing many of the ways we work. The real question is: how will we choose to use it, and how will we adapt?

As Seth Godin says, AI is a tool—like a pencil or a camera.

AI can amplify our work, but it can’t replace the deep, human work of choosing what matters and acting with integrity. Its value lies not in the tool itself, but in the questions we bring to it.

In a recent conversation in Purple Space, Seth Godin’s online community, he reminded us that AI has limitations. It can be confidently wrong, it can mislead, and it can’t (yet) fully grasp the nuance of empathy, generosity, or intent. But at the same time, it can spark ideas, shape drafts, and offer us perspectives we might not have considered.

Using AI: Two Stories, Two Outcomes

I had a minor conflict with a family member via text. We both wanted the same outcome, but it felt like we weren’t getting anywhere. Curious, I entered our text into AI using it as a “mirror” to objectively analyze our conversation. My prompt was simple: Help me understand what’s preventing us from reaching a solution. AI was able to show me that while we both want the same outcome, our vastly differing approaches were getting in the way. It highlighted our differing perspectives, allowing me to reframe my approach and find a quick resolution. Of course, I can’t control how she chooses to show up. But I could control my own response. I changed how I framed the conversation, and we reached a resolution quickly. My experiment enabled me to use AI as a guide for personal growth. Who knew?

In contrast, I have a client who uses AI as a “crutch.” Instead of using the tool to clarify her vision for a brand refresh, she became dependent on endless AI-generated options. This avoidance of decision-making ultimately stalled the project, proving that a tool can become an obstacle when it replaces human intention and commitment.

The Legal Landscape of AI

The most prominent legal battles against AI companies like OpenAI, Stability AI, and Meta center on copyright infringement. Artists, authors, and news organizations argue that their work was unlawfully used to train AI models without permission or compensation.

• The New York Times vs. OpenAI & Microsoft: This high-profile case alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used millions of copyrighted articles to train their models, and that the AI sometimes generates verbatim or near-verbatim copies of their content. The legal debate hinges on whether this use constitutes “fair use.”
• Getty Images vs. Stability AI: The stock photo company sued Stability AI, claiming the company used millions of its copyrighted images to train the Stable Diffusion image generator. A key point of contention is that some AI-generated images have even replicated the Getty Images watermark, further supporting claims of direct infringement.
• Authors Guild vs. OpenAI & Meta: A number of authors have filed class-action lawsuits, alleging that their books were used to train AI models without a license. This raises a crucial question: when a model ingests a book to learn, is it “reading” or “copying”?

These landmark cases will define the future of AI development, intellectual property, and what creators can expect in a world of increasingly sophisticated machines.

Things to Think About When Using AI

Seth’s encouragement to “stay open” has me wondering: am I limiting myself by only using AI for tasks I already know it can handle? For example, research, summaries, or blog drafts like this one? Am I letting AI keep me stuck instead of moving forward?  Am I so quick to send my bullet points to AI to create my drafts that I’m no longer thinking with purpose and intention? This all got me thinking…

The beauty of participating in Purple Space with Mr. Godin is that I walk away with more questions than answers. Here are some ideas I’m still turning over in my mind—and maybe they’ll give you something to reflect on, too:

• Am I using AI to simply speed up what I already do, or am I inviting it to expand what’s possible?
• Do I treat AI as an authority, or do I remember it’s only as useful as the intent and clarity I bring?
• How do I balance efficiency with depth, and productivity with purpose?
• Where might I be holding back from experimenting with AI because of fear, skepticism, or habit?
• Where might I be hiding in AI exploration instead of making choices and moving forward?
• Am I open to the idea that my best use of AI hasn’t revealed itself yet?
• Do I even WANT to use AI? (I’ll share my answer over coffee).

AI is changing the headlines—driving productivity, stirring up lawsuits, and reshaping the job market—but those big shifts are really just mirrors of the smaller choices we make every day. Whether we use AI as a tool for clarity and growth, or lean on it as a crutch that keeps us stuck, will shape not only our work but our future. The technology is here to stay. The question is whether we’ll let it amplify our best instincts—curiosity, generosity, and purpose—or our worst habits—avoidance, fear, and indecision. In the end, it’s not AI making the waves, it’s us deciding how to ride them.

By the way, the image I’ve featured in this blog is AI-generated. It’s the result of my prompt to create bees flying in a garden of colorful flowers, which included magenta and yellow.  Truth be told: it freaks me out.  The flowers look pretty realistic, but those bees!

That’s where I’ll leave it for today: curious, open, and a little unsettled. I’d love to hear your take on AI and how you’re currently using it to expand possibilities, or are you hiding behind it?