I’m concerned for humans.  What I mean is that efficiency and convenience seem to be at the forefront but real human nourishment is becoming scarce.

Especially since lockdown in 2020 and the accelerated rate by which AI is being not only implemented but accepted, I’m wondering if we will soon reach a point of starvation.

Three winters ago I worked alone, behind a computer, when the weather was lousy and most people hibernated.  At the end of the winter I said to my son, “I am killing myself” and I vowed to do winters differently.  The last two winters I’ve spent a few months in Mexico where sunshine, fresh food and smiling humans were everywhere. 

Yale researchers found that the brain’s social processing systems become significantly less active during Zoom-style interactions than during in-person encounters…but what do I do?  Sit on hours after hour of zoom calls. The study reveals that on the nurture scale our engagement is lower, we have less collaborative energy and reduced social connection. That was certainly my experience so I changed how I live.

We can’t get affection – a hand on your shoulder, a hug after hearing hard news, eye contact that says, “I’m here” – online.  Physical connection lowers stress and increases oxytocin – the bonding hormone associated with trust, calm and emotional safety – unlike anything Facetime, Facebook, Instagram, Teams, or anything else on the internet buffet can offer.

Let’s admit that virtual meetings do offer the benefits of accessibility, flexibility, time-savings and a broader reach.  But is that it?  Is it time we also admit that as humans we not only hunger for, but starve without, presence?

Aha! ~ Technology transfers information.  Humans transfer energy.

Human beings do not merely require food and shelter. We develop through affection, attention, and connection.  A human held develops differently than a human merely managed. No algorithm can regulate a nervous system the way genuine human presence can.

We’ve all walked into a room and felt tension before a word was spoken. We’ve also felt peace from someone’s presence without them saying anything at all.  It’s because we don’t just communicate through words but through our entire beings.

We must be careful that AI is not used to remove humans from life, but to remove the unnecessary so humans can become more: more present, more creative, more connected and more alive. The future should not be human versus technology. It should be technology protecting what is most human.

We often think nourishment only comes through food and sunlight, but humans feed one other in countless invisible ways. Through reassurance. Through laughter. Through compassion. Through listening. Through eye contact. Through shared experiences. Through simply sitting beside someone and helping their nervous system remember what safety feels like. That is the part of humanity we cannot afford to automate away.

So, use the tools. Embrace innovation. Let technology handle what is mechanical.

But never underestimate the power of your presence, your voice, your touch, your attention, your laughter, your energy. Because long after the screen goes dark, people will remember how you made them feel.

Human connection is not a luxury, it is life-giving.

We are so close to A Human Approach app that we think you will love. Stay tuned!