New Age: to continue to be your own architect...

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The Ages of Humanity. The colorful table above is my summary take-away from a book that dramatically changed my thinking as a business consultant and author. I thank Daniel Pink (see “sidebar”). Some would say we have entered the new age of "Artificial Intelligence." I believe we have entered a new age with Artificial Intelligence. Like Mr. Pink, I believe we have actually entered the age of "Creators and Empathizers." We have relied on "high-tech" for many years as the basis for exciting, lucrative careers and powerful IPOs that altered the economic landscape. The greatest issues now facing our world societies are no longer technological, these are humanitarian issues. 

It's About Talent. Some of those high-tech jobs of sitting at a computer terminal will be taken over by Mr. AI and his vast army of servers and robots. Video games will begin to design themselves. Perhaps we already have enough apps. Young job seekers and those who are changing careers might begin to look not so much to "high-tech" but to "high touch" and "hands-on." High-touch refers to the "human touch." INTELLECT has defined us for too long. TALENT is the new-old commodity of excellence and fulfillment. The world will ultimately need fewer software engineers. It needs more teachers, more nurses, more aircraft mechanics, more chefs, more foresters, and more home makeover craftspeople.

I AM Me: Brain, Heart, and Hands. Let's compare ourselves to robots. Artificial Intelligence is amazing...and artificial. Now, think of your own brain, heart, and hands. My brain has never run out of storage space for memories and new ideas. I can still remember a family campout many decades ago near Prescott, Arizona, when, as a very young boy, I first tasted "s'mores." I can picture the tall Ponderosa pine trees with their red-colored bark. My dad tried unsuccessfully to hang a tire swing from one tree. My amazing brain can connect the dots on so many things that make life work. And then my heart adds a special kind of "I've been there, done that" credibility and humanness that no robot can match. 

Computer Good; Brain Better. Continue to appreciate who I AM and who you are. Yes, the video cams on my new car are so helpful and probably connected to AI somehow. However, as common as that driver in a car may seem, that human is far more miraculous than any robot. The human's ability to multi-task is phenomenal (and can lead to distracted driving, which is where video cams come in handy). But consider this, a human can simultaneously keep one hand on the steering wheel, one foot on the gas pedal, eyes on the road with regular glances in the rearview mirror, take in the scenery, listen with foot tapping to a playlist, watch for the right street sign, reach for a cola drink, worry about the day's checklist, and have a loving conversation with the kids in the back seat all at the same time. Maybe we do need a robotic driver with the family in a trailer being towed behind. On the other hand, I Am a ROAD TRIP guy. I love to drive my car. 

Take a look at your hand. The human hand is technologically unmatched for its infinite functionality: to hold, grip, squeeze, twist, shake, touch, caress, gesture, pinch, punch, scratch, scrape, stroke a keyboard, and manipulate a pen to write tiny characters on paper (the font is instantly adjustable). Let's not abdicate from the skillful, delightful things only we humans can do so well and end up with more robots than we really need. Let's not make Artificial Intelligence the next age of humanity or we will fail to focus our attention on things of far greater significance such as who I AM and who you are. Let's simply make it all about more "humanity," more empathy. Let us listen to our hearts and to each other. 

So, What About Mr. AI? And What About the Elephant in the Room? It is often said that a group of people may be conversing about the day-to-day issues they face while ignoring something else much larger on the fringe of their agenda that is of great and unrecognized importance. As the author of this article, I have tried hard to be politically correct and to not challenge the reader's philosophical sensibilities while also being honest about my beliefs and values. I must now ask about the mighty elephant in the room...and the giraffe, the lion, the humming bird, the owl, the squirrel, the monkey, the beaver, the horse, the cow, the chicken, the humpback whale, the salmon, the butterfly, the honey bee, the life-giving oceans and fresh water, the minerals in the earth, the friendly atmosphere that surrounds the earth, the vast forests, the fields of grain and wildflowers, plus you and me. Who engineered all of these?

Thanks, Mom! I would like to especially thank my mom for using the sublime "software" we call DNA to create my brain, my heart, and my hands. She is, I am, and you are...we are the true miracles worthy of celebration. What is the source of the miraculous DNA that underlies, encodes, and helps to energize all of human existence and all of life on Planet Earth? 

In Conclusion: Artificial Intelligence synthesizes what we know about all things on earth to augment our thinking and allow engineers to ENHANCE our existence. It is the other "AI," Artisanal Ingenuity, and the "I AM" that ENRICH our lives. I AM truly grateful for engineers. I AM so thankful for the creative forces that brought about the wondrous existence of humans living on a planet gem--delicately balanced among the stars--within a forest family of trees. Please visit our family website at: https://www.thetreeroost.com