The More I Build With AI, the More I Want to Think for Myself

Before I started building with AI, I often felt like I had to remember everything.

Between running my brokerage, working with clients, managing responsibilities, and thinking about all the things I wanted to create, there was always something else occupying space in my head.

I had ideas. Lots of them.

I could see how things might work better, but finding the time and mental space to organize everything was another story.

Then I started learning what AI could actually do.

And I became fascinated.

It started with understanding what was possible

At first, I think most of us approach AI through individual tasks.

We ask it to draft an email, summarize something, answer a question, or help organize our thoughts.

And that’s a perfectly good place to start.

But the more I explored, the more I began to understand how much further it could go.

I could build systems around responsibilities I’d previously been managing myself. I could organize information differently, connect pieces of work, and create processes that didn’t depend on me remembering every little detail.

I began to feel more organized.

But something else happened too.

I became even more curious.

I wanted to understand how the technology worked, what it could do, where its limitations were, and how I could use it responsibly.

One discovery led to another.

And before long, I wasn’t simply using AI. I was building with it.

Is anyone else trying to keep up?

Sometimes I look at how quickly this technology is evolving, and I wonder how anyone is supposed to keep up with all of it.

There are tools for research, writing, coding, creating, and managing work. It feels like there’s another announcement every time I turn around.

Another capability. Another product. Another way of doing something.

I find it fascinating.

But I also wonder about the person who has never used any of these tools.

Maybe they’ve spent 25 years working in an industry that had very little to do with technology. Maybe they’re curious because they keep hearing how AI can make their lives easier.

So they finally decide to give it a try.

And then what?

Which platform do they choose? What do they ask? How do they know whether the answer is correct? What information is safe to share?

I can imagine someone opening one of these platforms and thinking, Where on earth do I even begin?

I think that’s something the companies developing this technology need to pay attention to.

Making technology more capable is one thing. Making it understandable and useful to everyday people is another.

I’ve always appreciated technology that makes something complicated feel simple. The person using it shouldn’t need to understand everything happening behind the scenes to benefit from it.

Sometimes I think we’re so focused on what AI can do next that we forget how many people are still trying to understand what it can do today.

Building something is only the beginning

Creating something is exciting.

You have an idea, start putting pieces together, work through problems, and eventually see something take shape.

I love that process.

But once you’ve built something, you’re responsible for what happens afterward.

Does it work the way you intended?

What happens when something changes?

Who notices when something goes wrong?

And if you’ve created something that could help other people, how will they even know it exists?

I’ve learned that building something, maintaining it, and getting it into people’s hands are three very different responsibilities.

AI can help with all three.

But someone still needs to make decisions, understand the consequences, and pay attention to the people who will ultimately use what was created.

For me, that’s where human judgment becomes so important.

I still want to use my own brain

I love working with AI.

I love having a thinking partner that can help me explore ideas, organize information, consider different approaches, and work through problems.

But I don’t want to stop thinking for myself.

I still want to challenge my mind. I want to learn things I didn’t know yesterday, examine the answers, and recognize when something doesn’t make sense.

And sometimes, I want to disagree with what AI tells me.

Because AI can give you a beautifully written response that sounds convincing.

That doesn’t automatically make it correct.

And even when the information is accurate, it may not be the right answer for the person or situation in front of you.

That’s why I believe we need to keep exercising our own judgment.

We still need to think critically, solve problems, use our creativity, and form our own opinions.

I don’t want technology to make me intellectually passive.

Quite the opposite.

I want it to make me more curious, more capable, and more willing to explore what I don’t yet understand.

Maybe we don’t need to learn everything

If you’ve been curious about AI but haven’t known where to start, I wouldn’t begin by trying to understand every platform or every new feature.

Start with something familiar.

Something you already do.

Maybe it’s understanding a topic you’re unfamiliar with or getting your ideas out of your head and into a format you can actually use. Choose something you can experiment with without sharing private or client information.

Ask questions. Pay attention to the responses.

And when something doesn’t make sense, question it.

You don’t need to become a technology expert to start learning how AI might be useful in your life.

You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to try.

That’s how much of this started for me.

And I’m still learning.

What has really changed for me?

When I think about the person I was before I started building with AI, I don’t see someone completely different.

I’ve always been curious. I’ve always wanted to understand how things work, how they connect, and how we might make them better.

What has changed is how I organize that thinking and what I’m now able to do with it.

I have more ways to explore my ideas, create structure around my work, and turn something I’ve imagined into something tangible.

And yes, sometimes the possibilities feel overwhelming.

But I still find myself wanting to learn more.

I don’t know what my relationship with AI will look like five or 10 years from now. I want to continue exploring what’s possible while being thoughtful about what deserves my attention, what makes life better, and what should remain a human decision.

Because with everything AI is becoming capable of doing, I still believe our ability to think independently is one of the most important things we have.

And I intend to keep using mine.

I’m curious: Where has AI helped you think more clearly, and where do you still prefer to work things through yourself?

If you’re curious about how AI is changing the way we work, create, and think, I’d love for you to subscribe to The Business Underneath. I’m sharing what I’m learning as I build.