Post by Stanford University Graduate School of Business

AI might be in the spotlight, but Professor Jennifer Aaker says it’s still playing a supporting role. “The biggest mistake we can make is thinking that this is just a story about technology,” she says. “It's a story about humanity.” As AI reshapes how we work and live, Aaker argues we should think of it not only as a tool, but as a coach, a partner, and a problem-solver. “AI optimizes. It makes us faster and more efficient, but not necessarily better,” she says. Better, Aaker explains, means using AI in ways that free us to do what only humans can, like doctors using AI insights to have more empathetic conversations with patients, or automated admin enabling artists to spend more time imagining new worlds. Aaker points to three distinctly human capacities we can double down on: authenticity, boldness, and love. “Together, they help define what it means to be fully human in the age of the algorithm,” she says. Despite the seismic shifts AI is already introducing, Aaker believes humans are the ultimate authors of the story. “We have choices,” she says. “How do we use AI to make humans more authentically themselves? How do we make sure this tool doesn't push us further away from what actually makes life meaningful?” https://brnw.ch/21x1JDF