You Can’t AI This

A mountain, a conversation, and what AI still can’t do.

Driving through thick, soupy fog toward the base of Mt. Coliseum near Nordegg, Alberta, I felt the metaphor taking shape around me. The road ahead was invisible. So was the future.

This was the first training hike for a personal summit I’d set my sights on, Mt. Temple. But the real climb that day wasn’t about elevation. It was about intention, awareness, and how we move through uncertainty. It was about how we relate to change, especially the kind sweeping through our world faster than we know how to process.

Halfway up the trail, the real conversation began.

Talking Tech on the Trail

As the morning fog gave way to patches of sunlight through trees, Jason and I talked about Artificial Intelligence. He’s a nearly-retired high school teacher, and like many in his generation, he's resistant to it.

“I hate AI,” he said flatly. “I’m glad I’m retiring. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

I challenged him. “AI is already here, whether we love it or not. And now, more than ever, the younger generations need us (those with a little more life behind us) to role model how to use it consciously.”

Jason’s main concern wasn’t unfounded. “People already trust the GPS more than their own dang eye sight” he said. “It’s not hard to imagine them outsourcing their decision making entirely.”

He had a point. It was already happening. But there’s a crucial distinction: AI is a tool, not a guru. A mirror, not a master.

The Soul Mirror

“There have been times,” I said, “when I’ve used AI, it felt like sunshine bombing. Like a parrot that just echoes what I say. It's helpful, but also dangerous, because it reinforces whatever narrative I feed it.”

Jason trudged silently beside me. The trail steepened. I pressed on.

“Used unconsciously, AI can amplify our blind spots and confirm our biases. But used mindfully, it can help us see them. It can reflect the thoughts, patterns, and beliefs that shape how we see the world and ourselves.”

At one point, I said, “The real revolution isn’t AI... It’s us. Who are we beyond the knowledge we've gathered, the degrees we've earned, or the labels we've worn? AI gives us access to information. But it doesn’t give us access to wisdom. That’s still an inside job.”

Jason asked, “So how do we access that wisdom?”

I smiled. “By tuning into what I call the ‘sparkle signal’, that inner yes. Intuition. Soul-knowing.”

He rolled his eyes. “Do we have to call it a sparkle signal?”

We laughed. “Fine. Call it your inner compass. Or as Louise Hay called it, your 'inner ding'. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that we still have that signal. AI can help us, but it can’t be that signal. And that’s the key.”

You Can’t AI This (Seriously)

As we climbed, our conversation turned from philosophy to action. What would it actually look like to model conscious AI use for younger generations?

“Start with mindfulness,” I said. “Use AI as a reflection tool, not a shortcut. It should support our growth, not replace the work. The Soul’s evolution can’t be downloaded.”

Jason nodded, finally warming to the idea. “So it’s like… the Soul has the spark, and AI can help bring it to life. But AI isn’t the spark. It’s more like the engine that kicks in after the ignition.”

Exactly.

We were deep in this thought when we heard voices behind us. We turned to see three young men hiking up the trail.

“Hey there!” one said. “We’re on an adventure tour, and there's about thirty high school students behind us!”

Sure enough, down the path came a long line of teens, heads down, dragging their hoodies and boots through the snow.

“How much farther to the top?” one groaned.

Jason smiled. “You’ve got a ways yet!”

“Ugh, I hate this,” another muttered.

Grinning, I couldn’t help myself.

“Chin up, young ones. You can’t AI this!”

And just like that, I officially became a Canadian Gandalf, shouting mystical truth bombs at disgruntled teenagers in the woods.

Jason looked at me and laughed. “What are the odds of that happening?”

Exactly. The Soul knows what it knows and longs to experience the mystery. And that moment definitely qualified.

Staying Human While the World Speeds Up

As we descended the mountain, we discussed ways to support his students outside the classroom. We daydreamed of giving them free access to our golf course this summer. Not just to play, but to reconnect with the real, the tangible, the soulful.

As the conversation continued, we realized that the real question isn't about the fears surrounding AI. The better question is how we stay human in a changing world and what it means to live from the Soul.

In this new era, the greatest wealth won’t be money, data, or even intelligence.

It will be consciousness.

It will be self-awareness.

It will be the capacity to stay connected to your Soul while the world accelerates around you.

AI can’t hold your hand through a heartbreak.

It can’t watch a sunset for you.

It doesn’t know what trail mix tastes like at 6,000 feet after a good laugh with someone you love.

But it can help you see yourself more clearly if you let it.

And that, my friends, is the beginning of a very real, very human revolution.

WHAT CAME INTO VIEW

As Jason and I left behind the mysteries the mountain had offered, we were rewarded with sore legs and a clear, sunny road home. We enjoyed each other’s company, with the fog around AI fears finally clearing.

Something had shifted.

We weren’t just talking about AI anymore. We were talking about how we show up: grounded in Soul, guided by discernment, and rooted in presence.

We can grow alongside the tools we create. We can lead by example to show younger generations that tools don’t define us. Our Soul’s presence, our discernment, and our ability to stay awake will.

And, as we model the use of the strange new mirror of artificial intelligence, we can remain anchored to the parts of the human experience that make us delightfully say to ourselves, 'You can’t AI this.'

And that’s the whole point.

We start with curiosity. We treat AI not as a shortcut, but as a companion for reflection. We model questioning, discernment, and dialogue, especially with our own inner knowing. Most importantly, we remember: the Soul still calls the shots.

As I settled comfortably into my heated seat, letting my lead-weary legs relax, my gaze drifted to the open road, reflecting my new clarity. Technology can guide, but only we, as individuals, can know what truly matters.

Gazing out the window at the long stretch of highway, I remembered to look up at the sky... and wonder.