“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu

In recent times, we have become inundated with news of Artificial Intelligence taking over mundane tasks and soon will replace many jobs and careers. Countless reports and articles written on the subject of “The Future of AI” and what that means for the world economy have now become standard in our news, social media and RSS feeds. Business applications, search engines, and operating systems have began to integrate AI in easy to digest forms that enable even the un-saavy to navigate and utilize. Becoming the norm, it is safe to safe that the future of AI is here, and it is here to stay.

It has been compared to the last Industrial Revolution, when sophisticated mechanical machines began to overtake the brunt of human labor, resulting in a large leap towards progress and economic advancements for many. Something seen as beneficial, as stated in this report by the International Monetary Fund:

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to profoundly change the global economy, with some commentators
seeing it as akin to a new industrial revolution. Its consequences for economies and societies remain hard
to foresee. This is especially evident in the context of labor markets, where AI promises to increase productivity
while threatening to replace humans in some jobs and to complement them in others.”

Gen-AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work

The last sentence is what causes the most fear and hesitation when thinking about adapting to this new future and it’s many potential benefits. If we adapt to it, we could be replaced. So why embrace something that is a threat to our personal economy?

In the leading quote of the Tao, there is a glimpse of hope if we are able to release our fears and lean into the unknown. Being able to understand that everything is movement and nothing is static, we can overcome our fears of replacement or the unknown future. If we are not afraid of “dying” in this translation- dying in our careers or entrepreneurial pursuits, then we are able to achieve anything, even with AI or without it. Learning to embrace the potential of AI is one pathway to this mindset, by adjusting to the outcome and working with it, not against it. Another pathway is that of self-realization in the midst of AI adaptation, and understanding that we may be replaceable in our current roles, but ever-evolving in our professional development that we are irreplaceable in another. By not fearing this change while simultaneously understanding the possibilities of movement and death of our former selves, we can outsmart the perceived threat that is Artificial Intelligence. Afterall, there is no power that is stronger than that of human willpower, artificial or not.