By next year, an estimated 80% of our communication will be AI-assisted. From work emails to wedding vows and condolence messages, AI is no longer confined to the office. But as we lean on these tools more heavily, futurist Michael McQueen asks a question worth sitting with: is AI truly helping us, or is it quietly eroding the skills that make us human?
Augmented, Not Artificial
For Michael, the distinction matters. AI should function as augmented intelligence, giving us an edge when we need a new way to phrase something or a fresh approach to an idea. When it starts replacing the things that are uniquely human, we have a problem. And the signs are already showing: when everything is outsourced, everything starts sounding the same. Social posts, emails, even personal messages begin to carry that unmistakable sameness. Authenticity fades.
The Hidden Cost of Convenience
Researchers are calling it digital amnesia. A recent MIT study found that when students used AI to complete assignments, their active brain engagement dropped by 47%. More striking still, 83% of those students could not recall what they had submitted, compared to just 10% of those who did the work themselves. As Michael puts it, knowledge sticks when we engage with it. When AI does the thinking for us, the learning simply does not land.
Real Connection Requires Real Effort
This extends beyond education. With 72% of teens now using AI for companionship and apps like Replika boasting 30 million users, young people are increasingly turning to AI to fill relational gaps. Yet as Michael points out, real relationships demand things AI never will: selflessness, sacrifice, compromise, and the messy process of working through conflict. Character is formed in those moments, not in frictionless exchanges with a chatbot.
A Thoughtful Way Forward
Michael is not anti-AI. His message is one of balance and intentionality. For those feeling left behind, he encourages reaching out to someone who knows the technology well and asking for help. The tools are powerful, and there is no point pretending they are going away. But the real opportunity lies in using AI to amplify what makes us distinctly human, not to replace it.
In his keynote Preparing Now for What's Next, Michael helps leaders and teams navigate the opportunities and risks of emerging technologies, including AI. His insights are practical, grounded, and designed to equip audiences for a future that is already unfolding.
