25 Nov Staying Human with AI
by Kalika Yap
Hope you’re all enjoying the Thanksgiving break!
Thank you so much to everyone who joined our recent Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club session with our resident facilitator Brian Shiers.
It was lovely to sit together, breathe together, and talk about how to care for our own hearts and our children’s hearts in the age of AI.
Watch the full session here.
A Quiet Moment Together
Brian started by guiding us into a simple practice of sitting, breathing, and noticing.
He reminded us that mindfulness is not about forcing the mind to be a certain way, but about getting to know it with kindness.
It means to familiarize yourself with the mind.
– Brian Shiers
He spoke about how our minds move on their own:
The mind has a certain tempo, thoughts come all by themselves.
– Brian Shiers
Instead of trying to control every thought, he invited us to turn toward simple noticing:
All that matters is that we’re tuning in to what it’s like to notice.
– Brian Shiers
And he encouraged us to let our experience be just as it is:
And let things be as they are, so that the noticing is more important than what is noticed.
– Brian Shiers
This spirit of kind noticing set the tone for the whole conversation about AI, kids, and staying human.
What AI Can Do, and What It Cannot Do
From there, Brian helped us look at AI clearly. AI can respond, summarize, and give advice very quickly. It can sound wise, supportive, and clever.
But it does not have a body, emotions, or lived experience. It does not actually feel fear, relief, pride, or love.
Seeing AI as a tool, instead of a person or a guide, helps us and our kids keep our own inner wisdom in front.
Our Kids, Chatbots, and Connection
Brian shared research about teens and chatbots and noted that many young people are already turning to AI when they feel worried or alone. One line that stood out was:
They all have talked to a chatbot at least once about their own issues and questions.
– Brian Shiers
You can imagine how comforting it might feel for a teen to receive instant, warm replies at any hour. The concern is not that AI is always wrong, but that a young person might slowly start trusting a chatbot more than real people.
Instead of judging or shaming them for using AI, Brian encouraged us to be curious and open.
We can ask questions like:
- “Have you ever talked to a chatbot about something personal?”
- “What was that like for you?”
- “Would you like to look at some of the answers together?”
These small conversations help keep real connection alive.
Information vs Lived Wisdom
Brian drew a helpful line between information and wisdom:
- Information is what we read, hear, or ask AI for.
- Wisdom is what we grow over time by living, feeling, and reflecting.
AI can supply information, but it cannot turn that information into real change inside us. That process is slow and human. It happens when we:
- Pause
- Notice how we feel
- Breathe with those feelings
- Try one kind step in real life
- Learn from what happens next
Mindfulness practice gives us space for this. It invites us to be present with our body, heart, and mind so that information can slowly become our own wisdom.
Honoring Human Intuition
Brian spoke about intuition as something that remains deeply human, even as AI continues to grow more powerful. He pointed out that:
But our intuition, which is about working with humans, and what humans need, and lived experience, AI can’t do.
– Brian Shiers
And he linked intuition directly to meditation practice:
So, intuition’s really powerful, so when we practice our meditation, we’re actually moving into the domain of intuition.
– Brian Shiers
Every time we sit quietly, feel our breath, and listen inside, we are strengthening this inner compass. It is something our kids deeply need, especially in a world filled with strong voices, fast answers, and smart tools.
Our Next Session
Our next Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club gathering with Brian Shiers is:
Date: Friday, December 12
Time: 9:00 am
Zoom: https://kalikazoom.com
We would love to have you with us.
Let’s practice together!