Every time I discuss something with someone, even without searching for related products online, I get uncomfortable when I see suggestions on my social media platforms. I was okay seeing them whenever I searched on Google and later got recommendations on social media. But now it feels like something beyond my privacy settings is going on.
But I am better off than those I have heard bragging that they do not use AI, only their minds. If you have ever used Google Maps to avoid traffic, accepted email suggestions that finish your sentence, unlocked your phone with your face, or received recommendations from YouTube, you have already been using AI.
What has changed recently is that AI is becoming dramatically more capable, more affordable, and more accessible.
The latest developments show that powerful AI models and open-source AI are rapidly catching up, giving individuals, organizations, and even small businesses access to tools that, just a few years ago, required enormous budgets and specialized expertise. Competition is also making AI cheaper, faster, and better.
The extreme from those “who do not use AI” are those who think AI is magic. They have left everything to it, believing it will do everything for them. As things change so quickly, how do we need to think, act, and respond to this changing landscape?
For pastors, for example, AI is not a replacement for spiritual wisdom. It cannot pray, disciple believers, or shepherd a congregation. But it can help prepare Bible study resources, summarize research, translate sermons into multiple languages, generate discussion questions, and free up time for ministry.
For communications officers, it can help draft stories, edit reports, generate social media posts, brainstorm campaigns, analyze data, and organize large amounts of information. The value lies in knowing how to guide AI to produce meaningful, accurate, and human-centered communication.
Most importantly, AI still needs people.
Despite impressive progress, AI is far from perfect.
It can confidently present inaccurate information. It may misunderstand context. It sometimes retrieves the wrong information from the internet or struggles with certain languages and local contexts. That means critical thinking, verification, and human judgment remain indispensable.
The shift we need
We may need to treat AI as a core professional skill.
That means:
- Learning how AI works instead of fearing it.
- Experimenting with AI tools in everyday work.
- Developing critical thinking so we can verify AI-generated information.
- Building uniquely human skills such as leadership, creativity, empathy, ethics, and relationship building.
- Committing to continuous learning because AI is evolving almost every week.
Above all, know when to trust it, when to question it, and how to combine its speed with human wisdom, integrity, and compassion.
I am still bothered by the listening that seems to be going on through my gadgets without my permission. I don’t know where all this is going to end.