Andreas Ekström: In Defense of Humanity
In Defense of Humanity
Written by Andreas Ekström
Even though I am a writer and journalist – or perhaps because! – I think it is okay to make up words. Maybe that’s why I chose “Organic Intelligence” as the differentiating term for “artificial intelligence”. I named my latest keynote that, and it has also become a guide for keeping the focus on humans – and for the conclusions I have drawn so far in the breakneck transformation that this is.
Perhaps most of all this simple one:
AI helps us sort data. That does not mean that it helps us think.
Quite the opposite. The risk right now is rather that we think less well because of AI. Look at it this way:Because AI is so brilliant at collecting and sorting information (reading), it quickly also becomes capable of summarizing (writing). But as everyone who has struggled with an exam or a business plan knows, something truly extraordinary happens in the brain when we force ourselves to act according to a millennia-old model for learning:
1. We create a place with the least possible distraction.
2. We read, and accept that it takes time.
3. We take notes along the way.
4. Finally, we write a summary, a synthesis, something that clearly and concisely describes for both ourselves and others what we have understood.
You can learn a lot via Youtube Shorts (Which countries in the world have no coast? How deep is the Mariana Trench compared to Mount Everest?), but if you want to acquire knowledge in a way that challenges and develops your thinking, then reading and writing is an unbeatable method.
What happens to us if we automate tasks that previously required our best judgment? If the radiologist gets help reviewing the images and can spend more time on the difficult cases that an AI has chosen, then that is excellent. But what also happens is that the next generation of radiologists can skip the monotonous examination of all those healthy bodies.
So… how will they then become really good at what they do?
If they are not allowed to sit in silence, process large amounts and accumulate experience?
We can summarize it in a one-liner:
What we gain in efficiency, we lose in learning.
The most important thing you can do today, with yourself, with your family, at work, as a citizen, is to guard those principles of human learning. Preferably with AI as help – but not an AI that turns our minds into baba ganoush.
About Andreas Ekström:
Andreas Ekström – Swedish journalist, bestselling author, and digital futurist – is a global authority on the digital revolution. His keynote, “Organic Intelligence”, explores how AI is reshaping human potential and why success in the future will depend on the human experience we hire, not the AI we buy.
Andreas delivers tailored talks on the future of technology, AI innovation, and human collaboration, focusing on long-term learning rather than quick fixes. With a career spanning across digital media, research, and thought leadership, he challenges audiences to think critically about the power dynamics in a rapidly changing world.
Book Andreas now to inspire your team with his cutting-edge insights
