We hear so many messages these days about “being present.” But what does that actually have to do with who’s driving in your life? Everything, actually. If you’re not present and not driving, then who is?

I used to think that being present was hard work because I had to let go of all the other things going on in my head. Turns out, when I do let go of all that, it’s much less work. Being present isn’t sitting cross-legged and meditating. It’s the act of paying attention so you can notice when you’ve been on autopilot.

And that’s where the question comes in. Are you handing over the wheel to technology? Because this is really about our relationship with technology.

Think about it. When you’re scrolling aimlessly through whatever your social media of choice is, are you present for that? When you let AI write your emails for you, do you read them? When you search something and just accept the Google summary, do you question it? These are little transfers. Each one, you’re transferring your agency.

Now, I’m not anti-technology. I use the crap out of technology. I’m on it constantly. I’ve worked in IT. I’ve been an AI coordinator. I’ve been at the forefront of this stuff. But all of that experience has made me realize something: I have handed over agency to the technology. And we all do it. We look at our feeds, and our feeds are just feeding that back to us, right? We don’t go out and find the content. It shows up. We click on something, and more of that shows up. People forget about this.

So I’m not saying you need a digital detox. I’m not saying we all need to put down our phones, though it’s probably a good idea to put them down sometimes. What I’m saying is that we need to stay present in our relationship with technology.

And what does that really mean? Especially with AI, are you leading the conversations, or are you following them? Because to me, that’s the biggest question we need to ask ourselves as we head into this future. Are you behind the wheel, or are you in the passenger seat letting the machine decide where you’re going?

“Whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object, and go mad in its pursuit.”
— Charles Mackay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841)

This quote—shared in Gary Marcus’s critique of today’s AI frenzy—makes me want to read Mackay’s 1841 study of mass hysteria. Though I haven’t yet explored his analysis of tulip mania or witch trials, its relevance to our AI moment is unmistakable:

Three Echoes Across Centuries

• Gold Rushes: From Dutch tulip bulbs to AI startups, speculative fever repeats.
• Herd Dynamics: Social media amplifies today’s AI debates, mirroring Mackay’s “madness in herds.”
• Ethical Alchemy: Visionaries promise transformation; critics warn of unintended consequences.

Mackay’s work whispers: Question hype, seek nuance, and remember—we’ve danced this dance before.

#AIHype #CollectiveMadness #HistoryRepeats

A nudge from Gary Marcus’s writing to revisit old wisdom. Explore more at Humanovate.com.