How to Keep Yourself Relevant in the Age of AI

In his new book, The Wolf Is At The Door, author Ben Angel asks those who are fearful of AI’s impact on their livelihoods to consider what they bring to the table that technology cannot replicate. In this excerpt, he outlines strategies for reshaping our personal and professional identities in the wake of AI.

The day I buried my father was the day I buried my sense of identity. Bereft of his guiding presence in my life, I felt a deep sense of irrelevance. At 23, I was still discovering myself while embarking on a new career. Yet there were promises I had made to both of us on that piece of paper in the dark, quiet hours of the morning that I planned to keep. I kept that piece of paper framed above my desk, where it served as my North Star. Among the many ambitions scribbled on it, one stood out in particular: “Visit New York.” I’m not sure why, but the city held a peculiar allure. However, life isn’t always linear; it’s an interwoven journey of experiences. Setting foot in New York would have to wait as I embarked on a somewhat different expedition, navigating my way through the seven stages of grief. Unbeknownst to me then, this phase of my life would lay the foundation for today.

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Fast-forward to 2023, and I can see a striking similarity between my journey through grief and humanity’s reaction to AI, epitomized by the looming threat of irrelevance. Contemplating existential questions like, “What is my purpose in life if AI can perform my job better than I can?” helped me decipher this interconnected puzzle. I realized that understanding our role in an AI-driven world might depend on our relationship with grief and, more important, how we reshape our personal and professional identities in its wake.

Focusing on Emotions Rather Than Goals

Instead of imagining a clearly defined purpose, envision the top three emotions you would like to evoke daily, weekly, or monthly, which will form the foundation of your brand and purpose. Reflect on your victories and hardships, identifying where you’ve shown grit, flexibility, emotional intelligence, and leadership. What key characteristics and traits define you—or could define you? Perhaps you’re “solution-oriented,” “motivated,” an unstoppable “problem solver,” or quick to adopt new technology. Maybe you’re a beacon of change tolerance in a tempest of uncertainty.

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In an era where information is democratized, what makes your information invaluable to others? How can you remain relevant through continual learning and growth? As AI reaches further into our lives, what can you bring to the table that technology cannot replicate? It’s time to dig deep and identify those unique traits, unabashedly embrace them, and couple them with AI to create a powerful synergy. Follow that by amplifying them throughout your social media channels to establish credibility. After all, you and AI don’t just coexist; despite its threats and challenges, you scale together. But this will require something from you: reconceptualizing who you are.

The Art of Personal Reinvention in an Automated Era

In the face of rising AI competition, forging your distinctive personal brand requires authenticity, creativity, agility, and a clear comprehension of your emotional responses to change, especially under the threat of irrelevance. Understanding your current position in the stages of grief—denial, pain, anger, depression, and so on—can guide the emotional transitions linked to your personal reinvention. Consider the following elements to begin the reconstruction stage.

Authenticity: How do your true self and personal experiences uniquely shape your brand to connect deeply with your audience in a way that is distinctly different from AI-generated content?
Emotional awareness: How do your emotions influence your response to change? Acknowledging where you currently stand in the grieving process can give you insight into how to progress toward acceptance and constructive action.
Creativity: How can you weave your innovative narratives into your brand, creating layers of complexity that set you apart from commonplace AI-generated content?
Resilience and agility: What strategies can you employ to stay relevant and distinguish yourself as AI continues to proliferate?
Storytelling: How can you shape significant changes and challenges from your experience into compelling narratives that amplify the human connection with your audience beyond the capabilities of AI?
Brand consistency: How are your brand’s tone, design, and messaging reflective of your true self, and what sets it apart in an AI-dominated landscape?
Personal growth: How do the experiences derived from navigating through the stages of grief manifest into personal growth, resilience, and authenticity that fortify your brand against AI competition?