Rise Against the Machine

We’ve got something really amazing coming up soon that I’m excited to share with you guys.

But first, I want to talk about something that everyone’s talking about right now.

AI.

Like it or not, it’s one of the hottest topics around.

And we at the KINN are no stranger to its importance in the fast-approaching future.

Stanley Bishop, a distinguished AI scientist – and member of the KINN – just spoke at the Ai4 2024 AI conference that ran from Aug. 12-14th in Las Vegas (shoutout to Stanley!).

As exciting and unprecedented as the rapid acceleration of AI is… many people are worried about what our future with it is going to look like. 

And we’re crossing our fingers it’s going to be nothing like The Terminator, Ex Machina or Black Mirror. 

Sure, if AI is left unchecked and unregulated, existential risk is a legitimate concern. 

But I’m talking more about concerns for the near-future. 

The next five, maybe ten years.

The most immediate concern people have is that AI will be replacing many, many people’s jobs.

Of course, we ourselves can learn how to use AI right now, to make your business or work more efficient.

This is absolutely important.

And everyone should do this if they can

But there’s something else that is just as important – maybe even more important – to learn, that most people are completely overlooking.

Psychiatrist, philosopher and neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist has achieved a huge following for his books and lectures on the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

His theories suggest that the left (rational, analytical) brain has taken over our minds and shaped our modern world in its image.

McGilchrist says this is neither good for us as a species, nor is it good for the planet. 

Climate change, political polarization, all of these massive problems, he suggests, are because we collectively aren’t using the right brain very much.

In a recent interview, he shared "This whole left hemispheric way looking at the world has denied us a sense of meaning in life, if we can just get out of the laboratory cell in which we're being cooped up by society, and allow ourselves to be present to the richness, complexity and beauty." 

He then expresses the importance of belonging to a community, belonging in nature and belonging to something bigger than yourself. 

The right brain, unlike the left’s rigid “A + B = C” thinking, understands context, the big picture, relationships, empathy.

When it comes to what people want, deep down, it appears that we actually miss our right brain side of seeing the world, and each other.

There are surveys out now showing that people have low interest in reading books or stories written by AI.

Because, well, to put it simply, AI isn’t human.

People, it seems, aren’t interested in stories from something that doesn’t have actual lived human experiences. Doesn’t have a heartbeat.

When it comes to capturing people’s attention, people want to be engaged by an actual human being.

They want to hear stories from an actual person with a face. Because they feel the truth in those stories, even if they’re fictional. Because they can relate to stories from other human beings.

And this is something that is never going away. 

People will always be drawn to stories from other human beings, even as AI writes more and more and more of what we consume.

And this leads to one skill in particular that we should not only practice, but aim to master as we approach the looming AI takeover…

Communication.

It’s the key to connecting deeply with each other.

Specifically, storytelling. Becoming a confident, captivating storyteller.

Especially when it comes to public speaking.

Think about it. Job interviews. Networking. Selling a product. Pitching a new client. Becoming a YouTube personality. Having a successful podcast. Doing any kind of face-to-face business…

All of these things require you to be a brilliant, charismatic storyteller with a confident, engaging presence.

And to be comfortable speaking in front of any number of people.

To be confident. Not afraid. 

Whether it’s a room full of strangers staring up at you on a stage, or asking for a promotion in a one-on-one with your boss.

As long as there are other human beings on the planet, public speaking will always be an indispensable skill, in nearly every aspect of our lives.

And it is a skill. One that we all should continue to practice, and to learn from the greats.

Great speakers, great storytellers, inspire people.

And inspiring as many people as possible is arguably the key path to taking your company to the next level. 

On that note, this is where the exciting news comes in…

We’ve invited one of the world’s top public speaking coaches to lead a private in-person course for a small cohort in less than two months.

You’ll learn to captivate audiences, build confidence and share your message in a clear and inspiring way.

We kick off in the first week of October and will work together over 4 weeks to refine our messages, and significantly level up our speaking capacities.

–> You can learn more and apply here

Excited to see how your storytelling, confidence and ability to inspire others improves even more.  

Talk soon!

Oliver