“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
—Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
Lately I’ve noticed how quickly conversations about AI slide into fear—particularly fear about job loss. We’ve all seen the headlines, such as:
- Amazon CEO Says AI Will Lead to Smaller Workforce
- CEOs Start Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud: AI Will Wipe Out Jobs
- Millennial Careers At Risk Due To AI, 38% Say In New Survey
Those are real headlines from the past year, and there are hundreds more like them.
I don’t know how AI will play out over the next few years. None of us do.
But I do know that we have a say in how we react to it.
Facing the Fear Around AI
The threat to the workforce…as well as how we work…is very real. I don’t want to make light of the layoffs and job cuts that have been a result of how AI is used.
But in conversations with clients and peers, I’ve noticed it isn’t that simple.
The actual ‘fear response’ that people are feeling usually has less to do with AI, and more to do with the way they see themselves.
Inwardly, people are questioning:
- Will I still be relevant?
- What happens if this replaces what I do?
- If a machine can do this faster, what does that say about me?
AI exposes our underlying insecurities. It forces us to confront the narratives we believe regarding our work, our identity, even our value as a human being.
Of course we feel threatened!
It triggers a reflex to either resist entirely…or flip to the opposite extreme and outsource too much, too quickly.
This is where I think we miss the most important opportunity. Instead of reacting to AI as a threat or a savior, there’s an invitation here to slow down and ask:
What am I actually afraid of? And is that fear pointing to something I can strengthen, rather than something I need to avoid?
Looking at AI Objectively
When we identify what is eliciting that fear response, we can then take a step back and view AI more objectively, as a tool.
Like most tools, it can be helpful but also dangerous. It all depends on how you use it.
So rather than approach AI with a mindset of fear, let’s approach with a mindset of “What do I need to understand so I can make an informed decision?”
For example, I primarily use AI as a research tool. I think of it as a sophisticated scanning mechanism—one that can surface patterns, themes, and references much faster than I can.
When I’m using it for research, I notice the subtle temptation to stop there. To accept the synthesis and move on. To trust the summary without interrogating it.
Why?
Because it’s convenient.
I make an observation: AI makes it easier to skip the cognitive friction where learning, insight, and originality actually happen.
Once I realize this, it’s not something to be afraid of. It’s simply something to be aware of, so I can place mental guardrails in place and be smart about how I interact with AI. I want to keep it firmly in the role of tool, not substitute, and certainly not shortcut.
This is just one example, but you can apply this thought process to many different scenarios.
Whenever you see something about AI and your brain goes “oooh, scary,” that’s your cue to pause. Take a step back and notice yourself and your thoughts. To ask objectively, “What should I do with this piece of information?” instead of reacting out of fear.
Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves how, if at all, we will use AI. There’s no right or wrong answer, but there is the question of what drives that decision.
Because fear should absolutely not be in the driver’s seat.
