Artificial Intelligence, Authentic Wisdom, and the Future of Real Work
A couple weeks ago, I flew from Houston to San Francisco and sat next to a dermatologist who jokingly said AI will replace him in five years. I told him to reconsider that opinion.
Some people say it will solve everything. Others say it will take our jobs. After looking deeper, I believe the truth is more nuanced and more hopeful than what you’re hearing.
Recently, investor Lyall Taylor wrote an article called “Artificial Intelligence or Authentic Stupidity?” where he challenged the AI hype. He pointed out despite all the promises, most companies using AI do not see major productivity gains. In fact, a study found that up to 95 percent of businesses implementing AI had no measurable improvement in output. In some cases, AI made workers slower, because they spent extra time fixing mistakes or double-checking “confident but wrong” answers.
That does not sound like technology is ready to replace humanity. It sounds like a tool needing lots of human supervision.
Taylor said the idea of AI continuing to improve just by making models bigger is breaking down. We are seeing signs of diminishing returns. More data and more computing power are delivering smaller improvements. Meanwhile, the cost of building data centers and chips is skyrocketing.
However, the real story is not just about technology. It is about people.
One of my favorite thinkers, Dr. Arthur Brooks, uses a concept I believe perfectly explains why AI will not replace us: fluid intelligence versus crystallized intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is raw processing power. It is the ability to memorize, calculate, and recognize patterns. Young people excel in it. AI is often better.
Crystallized intelligence is wisdom, derived from experience. It is understanding context, people, consequences, ethics, and judgment. It is the ability to teach, lead, discern, and make wise decisions. Crystallized intelligence grows as we age.
AI is pure fluid intelligence. It can process data at light speed, but with no judgment. It has no conscience or responsibility. It has no skin in the game.
Recently, Meta AI researcher Jason Wei—who co-created o1 and deep research with Open AI — described what he calls the asymmetry of verification. He noted that it is far easier to verify whether an answer is correct than to generate the correct answer from scratch. That means AI can flood the world with fluid responses but still relies on humans to decide what is true, good, and meaningful. Machines can produce information. Only people can verify wisdom.
In a follow-up reflection, Wei cautioned that AI’s evolution will likely be gradual, not explosive. Even if a model could one day train its successor, it would improve unevenly across different domains, coding and math first, but far slower in complex human tasks requiring real-world experience and experimentation. In his words, progress will be “an acceleration, not a fast takeoff.” That observation reminds us that wisdom still requires experience. Machines can process information, but cannot live it.
In a world flooded with artificial intelligence, authentic wisdom becomes more valuable than ever.
Think about the people who are truly irreplaceable in our communities: great teachers, small business owners, pastors, coaches, nurses, farmers, skilled tradesmen, parents, and grandparents. They do not just perform tasks. They provide judgment, trust, leadership, and care.
The people who thrive in the AI era will not necessarily be the ones with the most technical skills. They will be the ones who effectively combine tools like AI with distinctly human strengths such as problem solving, empathy, integrity, communication, and ownership.
Will the world change? Yes. Some jobs will disappear. Others will be transformed and new ones created. Meaningful work will still exist, because meaningful work has always been more than tasks. It is about service, responsibility, and purpose.
So, if you are worried about the future, here is my encouragement: do not try to compete with machines at being machines. Be more human than ever.
Use technology, but don’t lose your judgment. Adapt to new tools, but do not abandon old wisdom. Teach your kids that AI is a tool, not our replacement.
Artificial intelligence is impressive. Authentic wisdom is irreplaceable.
Joe Olive, CFP®, MPS, is a 10-year Air Force veteran who works as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® with Sather Financial Group, a fee-only strategic planning and investment management firm. He holds a master’s degree from Columbia University.
