AI and the Art of Being Human
AI and the Art of Being Human
A practical guide to thriving with AI while rediscovering yourself in the process
A profoundly human book on one of the defining questions of our time
Thupten Jinpa, Translator to the Dalai Lama
AI and theArtof Being Human
How do you rediscover what makes you you in a world where AI can replicate everything you do?
In AI and the Art of Being Human, Abbott and Maynard guide you step by step through embracing your humanity when machines can mirror everything we do. Using fictional narratives, they reveal truths about AI that only stories can capture—showing rather than telling what happens when technology reflects who we are. Combined with twenty-one practical tools you can use immediately, their unique approach powerfully transforms abstract AI concepts into lived experience.
A collaboration between Future of Being Human initiative founder Andrew Maynard and co-founder of Blitzscaling Ventures Jeff Abbott, AI and the Art of Being Human provides a unique and much-needed guide to thriving with AI, whether you’re a student, professional, entrepreneur, investor, parent, artist, or simply someone navigating modern life.
What if the rise of AI isn’t a threat, but an opportunity? This book provides a visionary framework for a future where technology serves our deepest aspirations.
Ken Durazzo, Vice President of Dell Research
What You’ll Discover:
Transformative approaches that are built on four principles which will help you embrace and celebrate who you are in an age of AI:
- Curiosity: Staying willing to be surprised while resisting the obvious AI answer
- Intentionality: Choosing consciously rather than following algorithmic momentum
- Clarity: Seeing what the AI tool or model misses—the human context beneath the data
- Care: Choosing human flourishing over pure optimization
A profound guide for our time—showing us how technology can illuminate our shared humanity.
Owsley Brown, Board Member, Mind and Life Institute; Chair, Festival of Faiths
Fictional narratives that reveal what it means to be human when AI mirrors what we do:
- Elena, a Munich founder who discovers what AI can’t capture when it completes her private thoughts with uncanny precision
- Dorian, an Amsterdam painter whose AI encounter inspires “What the Machine Cannot Want”
- Plus others exploring AI’s impact on creativity, business, community, and daily life
Twenty-one practical tools including:
- The Mirror Test: Three questions for when AI seems to know you too well
- The Curiosity Loop: Transforming defensive reactions into learning opportunities
- The Human Qualities Spectrum: Understanding what AI replicates versus what remains uniquely yours
- The Prompt-Scaffolding Canvas: Structuring creative and ethical AI conversations
a must-read for anyone trying to figure out their place in an AI-infused world
Chris Yeh, Co-author of Blitzscaling
You Should Read This If:
- You’re an AI developer or tech founder who believes technology should amplify humanity, not replace it
- You’ve felt unsettled when AI knows you “too well”
- You’re watching your skills become app features
- Your kid spends hours with AI companions and you’re not sure how to handle it
- You’re a parent, teacher, artist, or anyone asking “what’s still mine?”
- You want to thrive with AI, not despite it
Readthe book
Check out the book’s website.
Download a preview of the first 50 pages.
Purchase on Amazon or wherever you get your books.