It was hard to imagine. David Hasselhoff would talk into his watch, and his self-driving car named "Kitt" would come alive, talk back, and speed in to rescue him from another precarious situation. It seemed so fantastic, our entire family couldn't wait week after week for the next episode of Knight Rider to come on TV. We felt we hit the jackpot when we finally got a VCR, and when I would ride my bike around town, listening to my newly acquired "Boston" cassette tape on my knock-off Sony Walkman, I felt like I was living in a Jetsons reality show. And when call-waiting landed...fuhgetaboutit!
I learned about politics and the legal system by watching Schoolhouse Rock, good versus evil on Super Friends, and had to do research for school by pedaling to the public library, spending hours digging through encyclopedias, and searching for the secret decoder ring for the dreaded Dewey Decimal System. And relative to my parents' and grandparents' upbringing, I lived a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced life.
I was in a discussion recently about what life will be like five or ten years from now. Things are changing so fast. People are having literal conversations with ChatGPT while their car drives them to work, animations look more human than humans, and are created in minutes by prompts, not in months by artists. We transact business and buy stuff from anywhere in the world in seconds, and expect same-day delivery. I get strange looks if I try to pay with cash, and I have this thing called Copilot that keeps asking me as I type this message if I want help.
Times have certainly changed. They always do. It is pretty remarkable, and yet the true co-pilot remains present through it all.
"No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Through all the generations before us and all the generations after us, our co-pilot has not only been present but actively involved in all of it. Methods are changing and changing rapidly, but principles are not. Do the next right thing, be merciful, leave others better for the encounter, stay humble, trust God, and actively pursue His presence.
Methods change, but principles do not.
Who knows where things go from here? Technology is moving at a pace that technology can't even keep up with. It's wild. Embrace it. Learn how to use it in such a way that it enhances your ability to serve others and deliver what's good in your relationships and business. But don't let it consume you and steal what, as humans, is most important...love and connection.
Grok is great, but it can't wrap its arms around me, pull me close, look me in the eye, and share love, excitement, empathy, or joy. It can't sit with a hurting friend (you can fake caring, but you can't fake showing up). It can't share moments of wonder as we gaze into the stars together, amazed at the mystery of how all that was created, or enjoy the smell and taste of a bowl of pasta. It can't be overwhelmed with peace by a cool breeze flowing off the ocean or the emotion of a family entering the door of their first home, simply overcome that they actually did it. Well...at least not yet...
Strap in next to the ultimate co-pilot and enjoy the ride. Share it with others through love, connection, experiences, and togetherness. He can do immeasurably more than any of us can think or imagine. You think what we have now is pretty cool...just wait!