Artificial Intelligence.

The nebulous monster that, for so many years we’ve both feared and been fascinated by through its depiction in popular media, is here for good. And the threats of job replacement, and heck, human replacement altogether, are abundant. In fact, some believe that we’ve met our divine destiny and are fated to help facilitate the onset of the machine age, where humans will become extinct, and AI will rule the world.

Have we reached the peak of humanity?

Well, since these might be our last days on Earth (thanks to AI or any of the other dozen looming catastrophes) let’s take a brief moment to look back, shall we?

500+ million years ago, all we had was a measly brainstem (the reptilian brain). Its functions? Simple but vital - regulating breathing, heartbeat, digestion and important things like that. Then, 200 million years ago, our amygdala developed - the part of our brain that helps us identify danger (like an oncoming lion) and react fast - also important stuff. For a while, this was all we really needed.

But, there was a trait in certain early humans that favored survival even more, and that was cognition; “the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.” And so with that, about 2-3 million years ago, the neocortex part of the brain developed, giving rise to our thinking, reasoning, language and creative selves – functions powered by our complex emotions and thoughts.

Ok, so now that we’ve walked down memory lane, let’s get back to our original question - have we reached our peak?

Looking back at the span of human evolution with the help of my soon-to-replace-me chatbot, it’s clear to me that the leap we are experiencing is NOT in technology, but in the next frontier of our human minds.

Since modern survival is no longer about running from lions, we are developing better emotional intelligence, deeper empathy, better self-awareness, and more complex social skills. We’ve evolved from hit over the head, drag into a cave to now ask on a date, take to dinner, then gaslight (kidding…but you know what I mean).

Make no mistake, I use AI for everything (and I mean everything). And I’m also painfully aware that much of it is powered by fossil fuels that are killing us, and that we need alternative energy fast. Innovation won’t stop, but it must be regulated if we want to survive…That said, combining this natural evolution with the use of AI, where we delegate tasks, both big and small, we are further accelerating this process of our emotional brain growth.

From individuals to businesses, the question is now: what gives us an edge over AI? How will we evolve in a way that keeps us irreplaceable? If we follow the path of our own evolution, the answer is clear: a deeper understanding of the self, and a deeper connection to others.

It is that which makes us undeniably human – our intuition, our discernment and connection, that will determine whether we thrive or fade. It is the key to the next phase of our survival.

This is about navigating relationships, handling complex emotions, and collaborating with others. Success (or survival) today requires:

• Understanding yourself

• Managing your emotions

• Reading other people accurately

• Making long-term plans instead of short-term survival moves

These are our next-level brain skills we're evolving into.

We are the experts now.

The experts are the curators.

To curate you must discern.

To discern you must use your intuition.

So how do we tap into it?

Well, we’re already doing it - more of us are in therapy, more of us are in coaching, more of us are mentoring, more of us are meditating and journaling - all tools to help understand ourselves better and tap into our infinite intelligence.

Broken down, the word cognitive comes from "cog-" meaning "together" and "gnoscere" meaning “to recognize” or “to remember.” To use our intuitive ability is to remember who we are - together. While we may be facing the threat of artificial intelligence, we are the original AI, we are INFINITE intelligence. We are born of star stuff, and we must remember that.

Our minds are changing on a molecular level when we use it in tandem with AI. I can feel it. But we are the curators of that information now. We curate by discerning what works from what doesn’t through our individual, creative, deep, intuitive wisdom.

Creative minds are uniquely equipped to LEAD during this new era. Why? They are well versed in connecting to their intuition. In trusting that pure gut to heart expression. It is what makes us creatives and artists. Harnessing that superpower is what will lead us to the next phase of our evolutionary journey – where we become superhuman with superminds.

I believe the future belongs to those who’ve learned to operate from and prioritize their intuition; are practiced enough to harness it and brave enough to use it.

So: tap in, go deep, make that your priority. Exercise your intuition. Test your discernment. Lead with it. Honor it. Hell, use AI to help you find it.

You will be farther - so much farther than those that don’t, and miles ahead from the machines that threaten to replace us.

I’m no oracle and I don’t have a perfect read on the future. Maybe the machines will replace us after all. Until that time, I know our immediate survival and success is most dependent on this shift.

As always, to your clarity.

P.S. If you're feeling called to explore your next evolution with support, I offer 1:1 clarity coaching designed to help you trust yourself deeply, act intentionally, and lead with confidence. Learn more here: www.carolinaalduey.com