Show Notes: Chapter 5 – Make AI Work for You (Not the Other Way Around)

In this episode, we explore Chapter 5, where Jeff Pennington gets personal about the "calcification of age" and the evolutionary pressure of artificial intelligence. If Chapter 4 was about the hazards, Chapter 5 is your offensive strategy for remaining futureproof (h/t Kevin Roose).

The "Plasticity" of the New Generation

Jeff contrasts his own experience as a tech insider with that of his daughter, whose brain was "plastic" and moldable when ChatGPT arrived during her freshman year of college. Just like it was when she learned to swear!  MJ started using AI simply because she didn't know any different. This represents a civilizational shift similar to how the printed book disseminated knowledge in China, then pulled Europe out of the Middle Ages—replacing "back-breaking manual labor" with the ability to contribute through knowledge.

Your Three-Question Framework for Augmentation

Jeff suggests that the best way to "turn the tables" on technology is to approach it with the goal of living a more satisfying life. He encourages listeners to start by answering these three questions: 

• What are you good at?
• What do you want to be better at?
• What do you need to do but find it takes an unsustainable amount of time or effort?

Real-World Examples of "Human-in-the-Loop" Success

We dive into a "Cornucopia" of stories showing how people are practically applying these tools: 

• The "Humanity Check" in Editing: How Jeff's editor, Ann, used AI to polish the Introduction but ultimately chose her own "human voice" over the "auto-tuned" AI version.
• Scaling Expertise in Small Business: How Stephan at Poursteady uses AI to scale the customer-support knowledge of his Brooklyn team to clients in Korea and the Middle East.
• Fighting Fire with Fire: How a former colleague used AI to automatically appeal denied insurance claims, forcing companies to the negotiating table.
• The Student's Secret Weapon: How Jeff's daughter used AI to generate practice problems for a difficult final exam when standard office hours weren't enough.

Listener Aid: How to Stay "Futureproof"

Drawing on Kevin Roose's book Futureproof, Chapter 5 outlines how to differentiate yourself from the machine:

• Don't Be a Machine: You will never compete successfully with a machine on its terms. Avoid the "hustle harder" trap, which only leads to being replaced by a robot.
• Focus on Emotional Intelligence: Like the architect Jean, lean into empathy, patience, and social interaction—qualities AI cannot replicate.
• Make Something, Work With Your Hands: Jeff recommends learning a trade—carpentry, plumbing, electrical—to pair with your AI literacy. "Combine AI, hands-on work, and creativity and you're futureproof".

Continue the Conversation

This book is a guide, not a technical manual. Join Jeff and MJ on the You Teach the Machines companion podcast to hear more stories from the "front lines" of the AI revolution.

Get the Full Experience

To hear the full "Cornucopia" of real-world AI success stories, find the book at:

• Audiobook: Audible, Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play

• Print & eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org

For more resources, visit youteachthemachines.com.