Last fall, I conducted a series of ‘Gen AI Leadership Summits’ across Texas with hundreds of educators. We learned, we collaborated, we scratched our heads a few times about how amazed we were at gen AI’s capabilities.
I’m scheduled to lead another such summit next month. I reopened the slides and quickly realized that most of what I’d built that was so “cutting edge” last fall seems ancient just 6 months later. It sometimes feels like life is moving along two parallel continuums. One is the “out there” world punctuated by mind-blowing inventions, technological advances, geopolitical developments, and the flood of political headlines. The other is the “in here” world of making my morning coffee, petting my cat, scheduling a workout class, checking in with distant relatives, and saving money for retirement.
The contrast between the two continuums can be dizzying. The second world is real. The first world is surely also real, but focusing on it for too long can be disorienting.
I spent a few hours today catching up on the resources I’ve been stockpiling in preparation for upcoming gen AI classes I’ll teach. And then I took a walk around the block – without earbuds, a phone, or a smart watch. I noticed the trees, felt the beads of sweat from this unseasonably warm May day, and looked at the wispy clouds above. I breathed.
I’m committing to try not to lose slight of the second world because the first one simply screams louder.
It can be a lot.