NOTICE THIS: AI Isn't Replacing Your Intelligence. Have You Forgotten You Have Your Own?

Authentic Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence: Why Your Human Experience Still Matters in a World Obsessed With AI — By QueenB.Divine

NOTICE THIS… This is AI. And before you get all worked up and say, "Wait a minute, QueenB, you're using artificial intelligence? I thought your blogs were supposed to be authentic!" Well, hold on a second. My blogs have always been authentic. My thoughts are mine, my experiences are mine, and believe me, some of the things that come out of this head of mine couldn't be manufactured if you tried. I just happen to appreciate a little technological assistance now and then. And if a machine can help me organize my thoughts without changing the person behind them, I'm not going to sit here pretending I don't appreciate it.

But before we get into all that, how are you doing? Seriously. How's your day? Have you had a moment to sit down, enjoy your coffee, look out the window and listen to your own thoughts? Or have you already asked your phone what to eat, what to wear, what to watch, what to buy and possibly how to feel about yourself? Good Lord, we're getting to the point where we might need to ask permission to have an original thought. And that's exactly what I want to talk about today. Are you being authentically you? Are you being authentically yourself? Are you using your instincts, your common sense, your ability to observe people and understand the world around you? Because while everybody's talking about AI, I think we've forgotten about another kind of intelligence that's been walking around this planet for a very long time.

Authentic intelligence.

Yes, that's right. I'm calling it AI too. And the beautiful thing about this particular AI is that you don't need to download it, subscribe to it, update it or worry about whether the data centre is using too much electricity. You've already got it. You're carrying it around right now. It's inside that wonderful human body of yours, the one you've probably spent more time criticizing than appreciating.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I think artificial intelligence is remarkable. ChatGPT, Gemini and all these other systems that have appeared in our lives can do some extraordinary things. They can help organize information, explain complicated subjects, assist with writing, generate images and make certain tasks a whole lot easier. I use ChatGPT myself. I enjoy it. I'm grateful for it. And I certainly don't intend to pretend otherwise just because somebody has decided that using technology makes you less authentic.

But here's where I think we're missing something important. Artificial intelligence can help you express an idea. It doesn't automatically give you a life worth expressing. That part still belongs to you.

Think about it. Where does your authentic intelligence come from? It comes from living. It comes from the people you've met, the mistakes you've made, the conversations you've had and the experiences that have left their fingerprints on your thinking. It comes from watching somebody's face change when they're upset, even though they insist they're fine. It comes from recognizing when a room feels uncomfortable, when somebody needs a little kindness or when your own body is telling you that you've had enough for one day.

It comes from experience, time, observation, emotional understanding, body language and the ability to make sense of what life puts in front of you. Sometimes you get it right. Sometimes you get it completely wrong. Sometimes your instincts tell you one thing and the facts tell you another, and you have to sit down and sort through the mess. That's part of being human. Authentic intelligence isn't about always having the correct answer. It's about developing your ability to think, question, learn, feel and respond to the world through your own experience.

And here's something I find fascinating. We created machines to help us process information, and now some of us are beginning to feel inferior because those machines can process certain kinds of information faster than we can.

Well, isn't that something?

We build a tool, watch it do what we designed it to do, and then start wondering whether we're still useful.

Imagine inventing a washing machine and then standing beside it feeling worthless because it can wash more clothes than you can by hand. Good Lord, the whole point was to make life easier, not to make you feel like a failure.

I think we need to remember that.

Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology, but it's not a measuring stick for your worth as a human being. You don't need to think as quickly as a computer. You don't need to organize twenty thousand pieces of information before breakfast. You don't need to multitask yourself into exhaustion just to prove you're keeping up with the modern world.

And speaking of multitasking, have you noticed how proud we've become of being busy? We're answering messages while eating breakfast, checking emails while talking to somebody, watching videos while pretending to relax and somehow wondering why our minds feel like they've been put through a blender.

We're not machines.

We're human beings.

We need sleep. We need food. We need movement. We need relationships. We need quiet moments when nobody is asking us to produce something. We need opportunities to learn and make mistakes without feeling like we're falling behind.

And maybe that's one of the greatest misunderstandings of this whole artificial intelligence conversation. We've become so impressed by what machines can do that we're forgetting to appreciate what human beings need.

Now, I'm not saying AI isn't going to change jobs. Of course it is. Technology has been changing the way people work for generations, and this particular technology is capable of changing a great deal. Some jobs will be transformed, some tasks will become automated, and some workers will face very real uncertainty. I don't think we should pretend those concerns aren't legitimate. People have bills to pay, families to support and years of experience invested in their careers.

But I also don't believe the answer is to give up on ourselves before we've even figured out how to work with the technology.

Why are we so quick to ask whether AI will replace us, instead of asking how we can use AI without losing ourselves?

That's the question that interests me.

Because I don't want a world where human beings are treated like outdated equipment. I want a world where technology helps people develop their abilities, create opportunities and have more time to experience life. I want somebody who's struggled to put their thoughts into words to have access to a tool that helps them communicate. I want small business owners to be able to create things they couldn't afford to outsource. I want people who are curious about the world to have another way of learning.

And I want us to remember that technology should be serving humanity, not convincing humanity that it no longer matters.

You know, I've learned something over the years. When you begin feeling stupid, silly, sad or irrelevant, you can slowly start diminishing the truth of who you are. You stop asking questions because you're afraid you'll sound foolish. You stop sharing ideas because somebody else appears more knowledgeable. You stop trying something new because you're convinced you're too old, too inexperienced or too far behind.

And then along comes artificial intelligence, answering questions in seconds, producing beautiful images and organizing information faster than you ever could, and suddenly you're wondering what the hell you've got left to offer.

Well, let me tell you something.

You've got your life.

You've got your perspective.

You've got your memories, your relationships, your humour, your mistakes and the lessons you've learned from them.

You've got the ability to sit across from another human being, listen to their story and understand what it means to you.

And nobody else has experienced your life exactly the way you have.

That's what I was talking about in my previous NOTICE THIS conversation, "The World Doesn't Need Another Copy of Somebody Else. It Needs You." Because originality isn't always about inventing something nobody has ever seen before. Sometimes it's about bringing your own understanding to something familiar.

And I think the same principle applies to artificial intelligence.

You can ask a machine to help write a sentence. But what are you trying to say? You can ask it to create an image. But what do you want that image to mean? You can ask it to help build a business. But what kind of business reflects your values, your ideas and the life you're trying to create?

Those are questions you still need to participate in answering.

And that's why I don't feel embarrassed about using ChatGPT to help with my thumbnails and titles. I love it. I can have an idea, describe what I'm imagining and work with the technology to develop something that might have taken me hours to figure out another way. Does that mean every suggestion it makes is wonderful? Absolutely not. Sometimes I look at what comes back and think, what in the name of nonsense is that supposed to be?

And then I adjust it.

Because I'm still the person deciding what I want to communicate.

I'm still the one bringing my observations, experiences and personality to the conversation.

I'm still responsible for checking information, making choices and deciding whether the finished work actually represents me.

That's the relationship I want with artificial intelligence. Not blind dependence. Not fear. A working relationship where the technology helps me do something while I remain involved in the thinking.

And there's another question people are asking more often: If you use AI to help write something, is it still authentic?

Well, I think the answer depends on what you're doing with it.

If you're asking a machine to invent a life you've never lived, pretend you've experienced things you haven't or manufacture opinions you don't believe, that's a different conversation. But if you're sharing your own story, your own ideas and your own observations, and using technology to help organize or present them, I don't believe that automatically erases your authenticity.

I can use a camera without pretending the camera lived my life. I can use a microphone without pretending the microphone came up with my thoughts. And I can use a writing assistant without pretending the assistant is the person who experienced everything I'm talking about.

The tool matters. But so does the person using it.

And here's something else we need to remember. Artificial intelligence can sound confident and still be wrong. It can produce information that looks convincing but needs checking. It can reflect biases in the information and systems used to develop it. So if we're going to use these tools, we need to keep exercising our own judgment.

Don't hand over your thinking simply because something delivers an answer in a lovely, well-organized paragraph.

Read it.

Question it.

Check what matters.

And ask yourself whether it makes sense.

Because authentic intelligence isn't the refusal to use technology. It's the willingness to remain mentally present while using it.

I also think we need to have a much bigger conversation about how we support the human mind and body. We spend enormous amounts of money developing faster machines, and meanwhile there are people struggling to afford nutritious food, find safe housing, access education or get the support they need to live healthier lives.

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Imagine what human beings could accomplish if we invested as much attention in helping people thrive as we do in making technology more powerful.

Imagine giving children more opportunities to explore their creativity instead of constantly measuring them against one another. Imagine giving adults the time and resources to develop new skills without making them feel ashamed for not knowing something already. Imagine communities where people had more opportunities to connect, learn, move their bodies, eat well and share their experiences.

Because your brain doesn't exist separately from the rest of you.

That beautiful collection of flesh, bone, blood, nerves and living systems needs care. It needs nourishment. It needs rest. It needs stimulation, connection and opportunities to experience the world.

And I don't think we should forget that simply because we've invented something that can answer questions faster than we can.

Which brings me to something I want you to think about.

When was the last time you trusted yourself to figure something out?

Not because you had all the answers. Not because you were the smartest person in the room. But because you believed you were capable of learning.

When was the last time you had an idea and actually explored it instead of immediately wondering whether somebody else had already done it better?

When was the last time you had a conversation without checking your phone?

When was the last time you listened to your instincts, then took the time to examine whether they were pointing you in the right direction?

That's authentic intelligence in practice.

And no, our instincts aren't always correct. Sometimes fear disguises itself as intuition. Sometimes past experiences cause us to misread a situation. Sometimes we need another perspective or better information. But that's part of learning too. Being authentically intelligent doesn't mean believing everything that pops into your head. It means being willing to understand yourself and improve the way you think.

I believe one of the most valuable things we can do right now is become more comfortable saying, "I don't know, but I'd like to learn."

There's nothing shameful about that.

I'm learning every day. I'm learning about technology, investing, creating, business and myself. Some things come naturally. Other things take a little longer. And sometimes I have to laugh at myself because I've managed to make something ridiculously complicated that probably had a very simple explanation.

Well, that's life.

You learn.

You make mistakes.

You try again.

And you carry those experiences with you.

That's something I don't want people to forget as artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of everyday life.

You are not irrelevant because a computer can perform a task faster than you.

You are not unintelligent because you need time to understand something.

And you are certainly not worthless because the world keeps inventing new technology.

You are a human being with the capacity to learn, connect, imagine and contribute.

And that's worth looking after.

I also want to talk about something simple that we sometimes overlook. The connection between a person and their dog. The feeling of sitting beside somebody you love. The sound of birds in the morning. The comfort of a familiar voice. The smell of coffee brewing while you sit quietly with your thoughts.

Technology can describe those experiences. It can create pictures inspired by them. It can help us write about them. But it isn't living your particular experience for you.

That's yours.

And I hope we never become so distracted by what technology can produce that we stop participating in the beautiful, messy, sometimes absolutely ridiculous experience of being alive.

Because I don't want AI to replace my curiosity. I want it to help me explore it.

I don't want it to replace my creativity. I want it to help me develop ideas I might otherwise leave sitting in the back of my mind.

And I don't want it to replace human connection. I want technology to make more room in our lives for the things that matter.

That's the future I'd like to see.

A future where artificial intelligence and authentic intelligence work alongside one another, where people have access to useful tools without being made to feel less valuable, and where we remember that efficiency isn't the only thing worth celebrating.

Sometimes a slow conversation matters more than a fast answer.

Sometimes a handmade creation means more than something mass-produced.

Sometimes a person who takes the time to listen is offering something no automated response can fully replace in that relationship.

And sometimes the smartest thing you can do is put the phone down, go outside and remember you have a body that needs more than information.

Now, speaking of taking care of yourself, that's also why I create my affordable digital self-care resources. I have a $1.99 series because I want people to have access to practical ideas without feeling like they need to spend a fortune just to begin looking after themselves. And no, the low price doesn't mean I don't value my work. Quite the opposite. I believe creative work has value, and I also believe accessibility matters.

I've shared plenty of free thoughts, videos and conversations over the years. And I love doing it. But creators deserve to be compensated for their time and effort too. Exposure doesn't pay the grocery bill, and apparently neither does being authentically intelligent. Believe me, I've checked.

My hope is that these resources encourage you to think about your own life, ask better questions and develop habits that support your well-being. Not because I have all the answers, but because I believe we all deserve opportunities to learn, reflect and grow.

And that's really what this conversation is about.

Not whether artificial intelligence is good or bad.

Not whether you're allowed to use ChatGPT.

Not whether a machine can create a prettier picture or write a faster paragraph.

It's about remembering who you are while the world changes around you.

Because the next time you hear somebody talking about AI, I want you to remember that there's another kind of intelligence worth developing.

Yours.

The intelligence you've built through experience. Through disappointment. Through love. Through mistakes. Through conversations. Through surviving days you weren't sure you could get through and discovering things about yourself you never expected to learn.

That intelligence deserves your attention.

It deserves nourishment, rest, curiosity and opportunities to grow.

And it deserves to be used.

So don't become intimidated by technology simply because it's powerful. Learn about it. Question it. Explore what it can do. Understand its limitations. And decide how it might help you create the life you're trying to build.

But don't abandon yourself in the process.

NOTICE THIS: Artificial intelligence might help you do things faster. Authentic intelligence helps you decide what matters in the first place.

And that, my friends, is something worth remembering.

You are the seed of your own experience. You have the ability to learn, change, create and grow. But just like anything living, you need to pour something worthwhile into yourself. Give your mind opportunities to think. Give your body the care it deserves. Give your creativity a chance to breathe. And give yourself permission to be a human being who doesn't have everything figured out.

You don't have to compete with a machine to prove you're intelligent.

You don't have to pretend you know everything.

And you certainly don't have to feel less than because technology is moving faster than you expected.

You're still here.

You're still learning.

And your experience still matters.

You are the original AI: Authentic Intelligence.

So take care of you. Keep your curiosity alive. Use the tools that help you, but don't forget the human being holding them.

And remember, self-love and self-care will get you there, but you've got to show the work.

One love. Take care of you.

— QueenB.Divine

I'd love to hear what you think. Does artificial intelligence make you feel excited, intimidated, or a little bit of both? And do you think we're beginning to underestimate our own human intelligence? Leave a comment and share your experience. Because this is one conversation I believe we should be having with one another, not just with machines.

Follow my conversations on The Self Love Daily Channel, and explore the $1.99 digital self-care collection and handmade creations at CellPhellow.com.