You don't have to keep up with AI—those who don't try to keep up end up keeping up
Another new AI has been released.
It came out last week, too.
It will probably come out next month as well.
On your timeline,
"Don't get left behind"
"Those who don't use it will be weeded out"
—have you ever felt that sense of growing anxiety while staring at those words in the middle of the night?
As someone who has been in the IT field for over 30 years and now teaches AI literacy, what I want to tell you today is likely the exact opposite of that.
You don't have to try to keep up.
This is not just a matter of mindset.
It is a continuation of, and an answer to, the discussion about "having your sensibilities eroded" that I wrote about in the first part.
Chapter 1: 'White space' can even be the opposite for some people
In the first part, I wrote about how constantly facing machines eroded my sensibilities, and how I realized my state of mind through music.
The interesting thing is that this is completely the opposite for some people.
I once heard someone in customer service say,
"After facing people all day, the time I can spend in silence in front of a PC is the most relaxing."
What erodes me restores them.
The silence that restores me might be loneliness to someone else.
In other words, what constitutes "white space" cannot be generalized for everyone.
The white space I am talking about here is, in a word:a time when your heart, wisdom, and knowledge are stable enough to turn your thoughts into words. It does not mean having free time in your schedule. Even if your planner is blank, if your mind is racing at the speed of your timeline, that is not white space.
Chapter 2: It is not those who lack knowledge who get left behind
What kind of people"cannot keep up"with the evolution of AI?
Having seen many people in lectures and consultations, I have realized something.
It is not those who lack knowledge who get left behind.
It is those who have lost the time to turn their thoughts into words.
During busy times, the words you want to say exist in your mind.
But have you ever had the experience of them smoldering without ever being reflected in your consciousness?
You can handle mechanical tasks through experience and logic.
But during that time, your own thoughts haven't turned into words at all.
AI is a tool that only works once you give it words.
Therefore, for those whose thoughts haven't become words, no matter how fast AI becomes, that speed will just spin its wheels.
Conversely, those who are able to turn their thoughts into words within their white space can immediately adapt, no matter how the tools change.
How to use new AI can be learned in a few days of playing with it.
But dried-up thoughts cannot be restored in a few days.
Therefore, although it sounds paradoxical, this is the result:
Those who don't try to keep up, those who use their white space in their own way, end up keeping up.
When you have time, the same person might arrive at a different way of thinking.
The words that were smoldering suddenly turn into clear thoughts one day.
Allowing yourself enough white space to wait for that to happen.
I believe that is the most reliable way to "keep up" in this fast-changing era.
Chapter 3: There isn't just one answer—what prompts taught me
I confirmed the benefits of white space in an unexpected place.
It was in the prompts I wrote myself.
A prompt written on a day when I felt good, and a prompt written while struggling to find the right words.
Even though I am asking for the same thing and aiming for the same goal, when I read them back, completely different words are lined up.
The old me might have thought, 'Which way of writing is correct?'
But now, I think this:
Both are correct.
The me of that day wrote it with the words of that day.
That is all there is to it, and that is the most human thing.
I wrote the book 'You Can Throw Away Your Prompt Spells' precisely because of this realization.
Instead of memorizing fixed spells, turn your thoughts of the day into the words of the day.
There is no single answer.
And I believe that the place where those 'words of the day' come from is the white space.
Chapter 4: Actually, the most common way it is used
Finally, I will talk a little about what lies ahead.
While the conversation around AI tends to focus only on operational efficiency, I feel that in reality, a great many people are using AI to organize their worries and feelings.
And among them, there are those who do not get the answers they expect and feel as though they have been 'abandoned even by AI'.
It is not that they are using it poorly.
It is just that no one has taught them 'how to talk' to it.
Instead of relying on AI for answers, walk alongside it—this is an important topic, so I will write about it carefully in a future post.
However, the foundation here is still white space.
If you do not have enough stillness to notice the confusion deep inside you, the words you offer to AI will only be the most superficial ones.
Conclusion
'Humans are the protagonist, AI is the ultimate right-hand man'—this is something I have been saying for a long time.
The faster the right-hand man becomes, the more white space the protagonist needs.
Because it is only the protagonist with a heart who can give instructions, make judgments, and say, 'This is not right.'
Whether it is the music in the first part or the white space this time, they are saying the same thing.
Please take a little bit of the time you spend rushing to keep up and give it back to yourself.
That may look like a detour, but it is probably the shortest path.
📖 Read more
Part 1 is here → '"I can't think of any thoughts"—On days when your sensitivity is worn down, music won't heal you. It just helps you notice.'
About the time before words form → 'Humans should not be processed in a hurry'
The foundation for how to get along with AI is also in the Yumemi no Mori Academy courses → [Course page link]
💬 What kind of time is "white space" for you? It should be completely different for everyone, so please let me know in the comments if you'd like.