It’s been quiet here for the last couple of weeks. A big part of that is that my relationship with AI, and my comfort with experimentation, has hit a bit of a turning point. Some of the new tools ask for more access to my personal life and data than I’m comfortable giving them. As I experiment with tools that can do more on my behalf, I’m finding myself having to think more carefully about what I’m sharing, what I’m giving them permission to do and the cybersecurity and personal risks that come with that.
So, I thought this week we would do something a bit different. This challenge doesn’t require you to use AI. Instead, I’ve put together a simple framework to help you think through what you want AI to do for you and what you want to keep your own.
The capabilities will continue to increase, and our relationship with these tools will keep changing. I think it’s worth being mindful about how much we want to let them into our lives, even when the things they offer sound useful.
In my head, the conversation has started shifting from “Can it do this?” to “Am I comfortable with this?” and “Is this something I actually want to hand over to AI?”
I imagine some of you are working through similar questions, so I hope this week’s challenge gives you a useful place to start.
Heads up before you head on the journey - this one is a bit longer than usual!
Before we start: if you are getting this email forwarded to you and are not yet part of the lab - you can join the tiny AI lab here.
The Challenge:
Build a simple matrix of what you are comfortable letting AI do in your life.
Give yourself about 15 minutes. You can do this on paper, in a notes app or use AI to help you think it through.
Start with one area of your life. Maybe it’s how you manage your calendar, communicate with people, make purchases or learn something new.
Then work through the questions below. For each one, write yes, no or with conditions, and make the boundary specific.
What parts of my life would I welcome more help with? What do I want to keep doing myself, even if AI could do them well?
What information am I comfortable sharing with AI? What feels too personal, or involves someone else’s privacy?
Which accounts, apps or devices am I comfortable giving AI access to, and for what purpose?
What am I comfortable letting AI remember about me? What would I want it to forget?
Where do I want AI to help me think, and where am I comfortable letting it make a decision?
What could AI do without asking me? What would always need my approval?
Am I comfortable with AI offering help or starting work when I haven’t asked it to?
When, if ever, would I want AI to speak or make commitments on my behalf?
What would I need in place to feel comfortable giving it more responsibility? Spending limits, approval steps, a record of its actions, a way to stop it?
If something went wrong, what consequences would I be willing to accept? Could I undo what happened?
Does the access I’ve already given AI match what I’m comfortable with?
What am I still unsure about, and what would help me decide?
The prompt to get you started
If you would like some help thinking this through, drop this into your AI of choice:
I want to think more carefully about the role I’m comfortable letting AI play in my life.
Start by asking me which area of my life I want to explore. Then ask me one question at a time about what I would be comfortable letting AI access, remember, interpret, initiate or do on my behalf.
Use concrete everyday examples to help me work out where my boundaries are. Help me distinguish between things I’m hesitant about because AI might make a mistake and things I want to keep doing myself even if it worked perfectly.
Don’t assume the goal is for me to use more AI. I may also be unsure about some answers.
Once we’ve talked it through, create a simple matrix showing what I’m comfortable with, what requires conditions or approval, and what I want to keep my own. Include the controls I would need and anything I haven’t decided yet.
Why this matters?
A lot of these decisions happen a little at a time. We connect an account because it makes one task easier. We turn on memory because repeating ourselves is annoying.
Each decision might make sense, but it’s worth occasionally looking at the relationship we’re building as a whole.
There are things I think many of us would happily stop spending time on. There are also things where the effort is part of what matters, whether that’s learning a skill, paying attention to someone or making a decision ourselves.
The answers will be different for everyone, and they will probably change but I hope this can spark a small conversation in your life and maybe in the lives of the people around you about what role we want technology to play and how we can be more mindful about it.
That’s it for this week.
Hit reply and tell me what you thought of the challenge this week.
I read every response, and your experience helps me shape these challenges. If you get stuck or have questions, reach me at [email protected]