What happens when AI starts thinking like you? [WRAP 167]

Hey Reader, something interesting happened while I was working with ChatGPT the other day. It made me stop and think…

That moment was the beginning of a deeper reflection on how we think and create in this new AI era.

💡 One Big Idea: Hybrid Thinking in the AI Age

I've been thinking a lot lately about how integrated I want AI writing to be in my life and work. In some ways, it's amazing - AI allows me to expand ideas and connect different concepts that my working brain might miss.

But there's also something disconcerting about starting to question where my original thoughts end and “hybrid content” begins.

Here's what I believe is happening: we're entering a golden age for connectors and tastemakers. Think about it:

• AI can process and synthesize massive amounts of research and data
• AI agents can handle routine tasks with minimal oversight
• Tools like ChatGPT make content creation lightning-fast

But here's the real opportunity (and challenge): using AI tools independently, or expecting AI to do all the work, will only get you mediocre results. You'll do the same stuff as before, just faster and cheaper. That's not terrible, but it's not revolutionary either.

The magic happens at the intersections:

• Between technology and humanities (as Steve Jobs famously noted)
• Between your unique perspective and AI's pattern recognition
• Between original thinking and enhanced creation

This realization has convinced me that it's becoming more important than ever to think for yourself and generate original ideas as source material. These can then be supported, edited, and connected to other ideas with AI. We shouldn't fall into the trap of simply firing up a custom GPT to write about ideas we've already had.

Here's why your original thinking matters more than ever:

1. AI excels at patterns but can't replicate your lived experience
2. Your "weird" combinations of interests are actually your superpower
3. Personal insights become more valuable as generic content becomes abundant
4. The ability to see multiple angles and connect dots is increasingly rare

🤔 A Challenge for You

Don't turn your brain into a prompt machine for old ideas. Instead, use AI as a generative tool to remix and expand ideas you've already had, freeing up your mind for new ideas and research you never had time for before.

Here's a simple way to start: Before using AI for your next project, spend 15 minutes writing down your raw thoughts and insights. Then use AI to help you expand, refine, and connect those ideas to other concepts. This maintains your original thinking while leveraging AI's strengths.

👀 Video to Watch: How Sam Altman takes notes

Even Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, relies heavily on analog notebooks for his original thinking. In a recent interview on David Perell's "How I Write" podcast, he shared his surprisingly old-school approach to ideation.

The key insights perfectly illustrate our discussion about original thinking in the AI age:

🗒️ He uses spiral notebooks to spread multiple pages on a table, physically connecting ideas - a reminder that some forms of thinking work better without digital tools

🗑️ He fills a 100-page notebook every 2-3 weeks but trashes most of those notes. They're for processing thoughts, not preserving them. This "less precious" approach to ideation is crucial when we're trying to generate truly original ideas before bringing in AI assistance.

⏱️ The accessibility of analog notes means he can capture ideas anywhere, anytime - proving that original thinking doesn't need to be a formal, AI-assisted process. Sometimes the best insights come from quick, unfiltered thoughts.

This balance between analog thinking and cutting-edge AI development shows exactly what I mean by hybrid thinking - using the right tool for the right purpose.

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📖 Article to Read: Different is Better than Better​

Sally Hogshead wrote a fascinating piece about standing out that perfectly applies to our AI discussion. Instead of trying to be "better" than AI (a losing battle), focus on being different in ways AI can't replicate. Your unique combinations of experiences, interests, and insights are your competitive advantage.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. How are you balancing original thinking with AI assistance? What challenges or opportunities are you seeing? Reply to this email or click here to share feedback.

Have a great weekend,

Matt Ragland

p.s. if this resonates with you, let me know - I'm considering diving deeper into this topic in future newsletters.